


A Fairytale Untold

by bestkindofbadsomething



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Dragon Mal (Disney), Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Evie (Disney) Has Magic, F/F, Friendship/Love, Healing, Magic, Mental Breakdown, Mental Instability, Past Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-09
Updated: 2018-12-09
Packaged: 2019-09-15 03:09:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 42
Words: 158,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16925385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bestkindofbadsomething/pseuds/bestkindofbadsomething
Summary: Every fairy-tale ever told details a 'Hero' who knows exactly what they want from the world and what they went through to find that flawless relationship known as 'True Love'. But what happens when the 'Hero' of the story doesn't know what they want? What happens when that 'True Love' isn't always only a smooth path forward?For Mal, the path to her fairy-tale is obscured by a past that haunts her every decision. And, when she's finally offered something other than the chained life she knows, she quickly finds herself doubting everything she'd ever been taught. But is she losing herself, or finding who she truly is?Evie had believed in fairy-tales, that everything meant to happen would and that true love was beautiful and painless. However, now that she's in the land of fairy-tales, she realizes just how false those stories are, and how much they had brain-washed her out of finding her own storybook ending; which is the opposite of what everyone claims it will be.How will these two completely different girls come to realize what is reality and what is fiction? And what roles do they play in each other's story-book ending?





	1. Chapter 1

**_(Mal)_ **

_Weak. Useless. Hopeless. Forgotten. Unloved._

            For every poorly constructed insult that had ever been thrown directly at her Mal struck the bag in front of her, heavy breaths slipping through the crack in her lips as traveling sweat lightly tickled the skin of her jaw. At the same time as she told herself nothing the others said about her held any trace of the truth, she felt as though there weren’t any words that described her better. Despite knowing that she wasn’t physically or mentally weak she knew there had to be an underlying reason she remained stuck in the same place; despite knowing she could successfully complete any of the missions her peers were sent on she felt the heavy weight of her unavailing state. She felt hopeless when trying to convince the Head she was ready for a mission of her own.

            But those were only temporary feelings. The other words meant to be used against her were facts.

            She had only been twelve-years of age when the Head had found her and decided to take her in – though she knew it definitely hadn’t been because he felt bad for her – and that was only after she had spent five years of her life on the streets. Her mother had left her when she was only seven and she had never even had the slightest clue who her father was. And after ten years she wasn’t sure if she had blocked every memory of her mother due to psychological pain, or if she just simply couldn’t remember her; but whichever it was it didn’t matter. She no longer remembered who her mother was, and as far as she was concerned she had never had parents. No one had been there for her, and the only one who had been left and forgot her as if she had never been born.

            _Weak. Useless. Hopeless. Forgotten. Unloved_.

            To her, it was much better that way. She didn’t need anyone to care, nor did she need anyone to love her.

            _It’s better this way_. It was how she preferred it.

            _Weak. Useless. Hopeless. Forgotten. Unloved_. To everyone else she was all of them; to her she was none of them. _You can’t be forgotten if no one was ever there to remember you. You can only be weak, or useless, or hopeless, if you let yourself be. You can only be unloved if you wanted their love in the first place._ And that was the one thing she didn’t want from those in her life.

            The minute she had walked into this facility she had known she wouldn’t like it here, let alone fit in, and she had never tried for either. She didn’t like it, but it was her home. She didn’t fit in, but she didn’t need to. She wasn’t one to create faux personalities in order to get people to like her, and that’s all everyone around her did; they were one person around the Head and the complete opposite with their squad, whereas she was the same person around everyone. She would say she despised those around her but she didn’t care for them enough – and hatred was a form of caring what someone does and what they think. And though they all thought she was effected by the words constantly thrown at her they couldn’t be any further from the truth. She knew who she was, and their thoughts on who that person was wouldn’t change that even in the simplest of ways.

            As Mal continued striking the bag slung from the metal bar above her knuckles started to crack, letting the blood lurking beneath stain the worn, pale skin. Still, she didn’t stop. She had no idea what time it was, only that it was well into the night, a time where the majority of the facility’s residents were long asleep. However, unfortunately for Mal, that didn’t seem to be the case that night.

            “Look who’s still up, guys. The useless loner girl.”

            Mal continued working through the laughs, not giving them the satisfaction of her attention. _They just had to choose one of the nights I practice late to wander pointlessly_. Though she knew they had only shown up because they knew she would be there. The fact that they believed their words would actually affect her emotionally honestly wore her out.

            “What’s the matter? Couldn’t go a couple hours without causing self-harm? Can’t you stand how useless you are?”

            “You already used that one,” Mal pointed out, continuing her self-training, knowing that he was referring to the blood covering her knuckles.

            The boy hesitated, and she could tell he was looking at his group to make sure they hadn’t noticed as well. It was pathetic.

            “Well, it’s not my fault it describes you so perfectly,” was his response.

            Mal couldn’t help but laugh, shaking her head in amusement at how unintelligent some people could be; especially this guy. She prided herself on the fact that she had no idea what his name was, figuring being properly acquainted with the boy would only lessen her own intelligence.

            “You wanna know what describes me perfectly?” Mal questioned with no intention of letting him respond. “Do you understand the words ‘better than you’? Because that’s the _perfect_ biography for me.”

            That was the moment she finally decided to stop her movements and turn to face the small group accumulated behind her. The boy in front looked as though he was completely lost, and she could tell it was because he couldn’t wrap his mind around the meaning of her words. His friends did understand though, and they all looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to put her in her place; which never happened despite how often they thought it did. Mal arched her eyebrow, chewing on the inside of her lip as she crossed her arms over her chest, keeping her eyes locked on him in a silent challenge, urging him to respond with something better.

            “Any day, now,” Mal moved her hand in small circles, gesturing for him to say something. “You know, I have so many better things to be doing right now.”

            Almost like she had cursed herself, the buzzer attached to her belt shot electricity through her hipbone as a red light flashed through the mostly darkened room, indicating that the Head wanted to see her. She internally groaned, reaching to the bench to retrieve her leather jacket – one of the many she owned.

            “Sorry, buds,” Mal said sarcastically as she slid her arms through the sleeves, offering them an unfriendly smile. “I have to go be useless elsewhere.”

            Mal brushed passed the group, purposefully shoving her shoulder into the front boys’ and smirking as his face scrunched in pain forced silent. She heard the others finally find their voices as she retreated, clearly not courageous enough to speak to her directly.

            “Why do you think Head’s buzzing her so late?”

            “He’s probably realized how hopeless she is.”

            “He better be tossing her out.”

            “Relax, he’s definitely tossing her. He never calls us this late, so it’s obviously something that’ll never happen to us.”

            Mal navigated her way through the various hallways in the overly spacious training facility with ease despite her lack of experience journeying to the Head’s quarters. Every time the Head had buzzed her had been for him to tell her to make friends with someone, and she honestly couldn’t stand the way he acted as though he were her father. She didn’t need a father, and she definitely didn’t need anyone pretending to parent her either. He was more her boss than anything else; one she rarely listened to.

            He hadn’t simply taken her in to take care of her; he had brought her to his facility to play trainee for him. Ever since he had found her scurrying the streets for survival she had been provided with a roof to sleep under, an efficient way to stay clean, and more food than she could ever hope to eat. But all of that was only guaranteed _if_ she trained alongside the other kids her age to become another special agent for his Artifact Protection Agency. And despite her young age when she had first stepped into this place it hadn’t taken her long to figure out why he had been so irritatingly insistent on her becoming one of those agents; she was different than everyone else in an extremely dangerous way. He wanted to use that to his advantage, which is why it puzzled her that he refused to give her a single mission.

            Sometimes she wished she hadn’t been all but forced to live in the facility. She had been doing perfectly fine on her own, and it would have spared her many years of the frustrations of this place. She also wished that she hadn’t learned to control herself before being found because she knew that her tendency to get agitated with ease would have rewarded her with a beautiful excuse to injure the other trainees. However, the Head knew she had perfected her control, which meant that if she were to use that excuse to inflict damage on anyone he would be capable of seeing directly through the lie. There were strict rules chained around her that kept her from freeing that part of herself, and the only time she had defied those rules left her near death, so she grit her teeth and added it to the short list of orders she actually obeyed.

            When she reached the doors to the Head’s quarters she quickly unclipped the buzzer from her belt and pressed the screen of it into the marble plate embed in the wall, waiting for the doors to slide open before replacing it where it spent the majority of its time. It was a constant reminder that there was little freedom in this place.

            “Earlier today, something extremely alarming happened.”

            _Right to business, as usual_.

            “Am I supposed to ask what it was?” Mal questioned, not surprised when the Head turned from the screen he previously stared at to give her a stern look.

            _Very fatherly of you_ , Mal thought with a suppressed roll of her eyes.

            “There’s a single artifact that we’ve been searching for our entire lives, an artifact that dates back longer than can be recorded,” the Head went on, choosing to ignore her behavior, as he often did. “Though we’ve been able to use our advanced technology to locate every other artifact for our agents, such as yourself…”

            Mal snorted at that recognition.

            “… to retrieve for us, this particular artifact had never been located.”

            “Before today,” Mal finished, already losing interest; she didn’t understand why he would buzz her so late just to discuss the discovery of a long-lost artifact.

            “There’s just one problem,” the Head spoke delicately, as if his voice was the trigger to a bomb capable of destroying the entire facility.

            “Isn’t there always?” Mal questioned disinterestedly.

            It earned her another fatherly warning, exactly the look she had been aiming to receive.

            “The problem is that this artifact happens to be one of _the most_ powerful artifacts known to man, and that means hundreds of agencies will go through any lengths necessary to take it as their own,” the Head continued, and Mal wondered if he realized he led one of those agencies; she waited. “And we need to get to it first.”

            _And there it is_. “I’m shocked.”

            “It has come to my attention that the reason it had been lost for so long was that it wasn’t in the right hands,” he started pacing around the room in a patient manner, seeming to sense her next words and answering her question without her needing to vocalize it. “Her name is Evie. I’ve been doing some extensive research since the artifact first revealed itself, and I’ve managed to find that the girl lives in Auradon, close to King Ben’s castle.”

            _King?_ She hadn’t known having a king or queen was still a custom in some areas. _Alright, some places are still ruled by a King, but that still doesn’t explain why I’m here_.

            “Yeah, why exactly are you telling me all of this?” Mal asked as she picked mindlessly at the blood that had crusted over her knuckles.

            “Because I’m assigning you to travel to Auradon for the artifact.”

            At first, Mal thought she had misheard him, but after a moment of attempting to piece together what he could have actually said she realized there was no plausible answer; she had heard him correctly. She raised both her eyebrows questioningly, forcing herself to act unaffected and unamused by his sudden announcement.

            “Excuse me?”

            “I’m briefing you on the information necessary to complete this mission because I have chosen you for it, given the fact that you’re extremely lethal and damn near unpredictable unless the topic in discussion is whether or not you’ll behave,” the Head explained, saying the next part with disappointment laced through his words. “You never do behave.”

            Mal crossed her arms over her chest defiantly as if to prove his point. “So, what? You want me to go in and destroy everything and everyone in my path to bring you the artifact.”

            She was taken by surprise when he shook his head, refuting her statement. “No, I want you to travel to Auradon and do whatever it takes to protect the girl from any harm that comes her way until it stops coming. And you must do it _alone_ , or word will get out that she has outside protection.”

            If she hadn’t believed she could become any more bewildered in that moment than she would have been proved massively incorrect. She couldn’t believe a single word she was hearing. Not only was she being given her first assignment, but it was also undoubtedly the most challenging mission she had heard about since arriving at the facility, especially considering she would have to do it by herself. _Go to Auradon. Find the girl named Evie. Protect her at all costs_. Put simply, it sounded easy enough; but as the Head made his way back over to the screen and started showing her the agencies that would make an attempt for the artifact the difficulty increased until she knew it would be nearly impossible.

            _Great_ , she thought, blowing out a heavy breath; _my first mission will be my_ only _mission._

 

**_(Evie) – Earlier that Day_ **

Most people who rarely got to see their parents were generally ecstatic whenever they got to visit them; however, Evie often found herself dreading her family visits as soon as the limo entered the magical barrier that led from Auradon to the Isle of the Lost. Along with the memories flooding her mind whenever she returned to the Isle she often felt shivers built with an unpleasant mixture of fear and disgust traveling the length of her spine at being back in her first home.

            “Evie!” Her mother called for her, drawling her name the way she always did when she wanted to discuss something she believed to be immensely important; Evie once believed so, too.

            Evie moved over to where her mother sat, sitting down in the slightly broken chair presented to her by the woman beckoning her. “Yes, mommy?”

            “You’ve turned eighteen since the last time I saw you,” Grimhilde stated, and Evie merely nodded in response. “Meaning it’s time for you to be given the family treasure.”

            Her breath hitched in her throat when her mother reached around to the back of her neck to remove the chain that had hung around her neck for as long as Evie could remember. She had never witnessed her mother without that necklace, and the woman almost looked incomplete to her without the crowned red heart contrasting with the blue of her dress. Holding her breath, Evie watched closely as her mother raised the chain once again, this time to bring it down around Evie’s neck.

            “It’s been in our family for many centuries, passed down to the oldest daughter when she turned eighteen,” Grimhilde explained, the proud glint in her eyes making up for the lack of a smile. “The day she finally becomes a woman.”

            Evie held back a comment about being the only daughter as her mother adjusted the chain so that it tucked under the collar of her shirt.

            The moment the crowned heart dropped to rest over her own heart a gasp was torn from Evie’s lips and she flinched as if an electric bolt had just sparked inside her heart. Her hand shot up for her fingers to clasp around the heavy jewel as the electricity made its way through every inch of her veins, leaving behind a sharp tingling sensation. The jewel heated in the palm of her hand to a point that she felt should have burned her; but no pain came from the scorching heart.

            “What’s happening?” Evie asked her mother in panic, eyes widened in fear.

            “I am so proud of everything you’ve accomplished, despite our more recent differences,” her mother said in reply, as close to a smile she had ever gotten present on her face.

            Evie let the jewel fall from her grasp, but the new sensation had seemed to find a refuge in her body. “Mommy, I can feel something inside it. Is this supposed to happen?”

            She was unsure what to think.

            “Nonsense,” Grimhilde waved her hand dismissively. “It’s nothing more than a cherished necklace.”

            Having expected reassurance from her mother her heart only began to race erratically as the fear building in her chest increased in intensity. Evie had worn many necklaces during her life, but none of them had created the feeling settling deep inside her like her mother’s did; though technically it belonged to her, now. A sudden urge to tear the necklace from around her neck passed through her body, but as soon as the feeling came it was replaced with an unexplainable relaxation, and she soon found the new feeling embedding itself into her bones pleasurable.


	2. Chapter 2

**_(Evie)_ **

Approving cheers and manic arguments stretched wildly to cover the tourney field, the announcer’s voice seeming to echo irritatingly through the area, repeatedly restating that the Fighting Knights were currently losing. Evie let her voice join the roar of the others when the blue jersey with the large printed number of eight got possession of the ball, watching her best friend as he traveled through the kill-zone with such simplicity that one – if they didn’t know any better – would believe he did it every minute of his life. The team had been struggling through the beginning of the new season ever since Auradon’s Prince had been crowned King, effectively keeping the seventeen-year old too occupied to continue playing; and Evie felt sorry for Ben, knowing just how much he loved the sport. However, despite their string of losses Evie had quickly come to prefer the new season because Jay had been voted to be Ben’s replacement for Captain, the title making him happier than she had ever seen him.

            Pushing up from her seat on the blistering bleachers – the heat of the sun setting them ablaze – she cheered obnoxiously when the ball flew from Jay’s tourney stick and into the net behind the other team’s goalie. He had just tied the game. Once the ball was hurled back into play she anxiously watched as the other team made their way swiftly down the field, the ball never staying in one place for an extended period. When Chad went down for the first time that game from his collision with an opposing player, Evie felt a hand gripping tightly onto her left arm, and she didn’t hesitate to place her own over it comfortingly, turning to offer Lonnie a reassuring smile.

            The closer the opposing team got to the goal the more anxious Evie became, but she soon felt an audible sigh of relief passing her lips when Jay managed to secure the ball in his possession once again, passing it to another player sporting blue and yellow. Shifting her eyes over the field she located Carlos, letting a quiet plea slip as the small boy headed toward the player keeping the ball from being passed back to Jay, her hand tightening around Lonnie’s. Just as the guy with the ball attempted to rocket the tiny object over the body blocking his path, Carlos slammed his shield into the opponent with full force, sending him spiraling to the ground and freeing the path the ball needed to take to reach Jay’s tourney stick. She kept her gaze on Carlos for a moment longer – already knowing that Jay would go untouched through the kill-zone – her impulse to make sure the boy was okay taking over.

            Carlos was like a younger brother to her, even back on the Isle when they were expected to think of caring as a weak emotion. When she had first met him, Carlos had been terrified of just about everything – Jay being a major reason – and she had promised herself that she would watch over him because she had found something endearing about the way he acted despite his mother being Cruella de Vil. Since then they had become a family along with Jay, despite his original distaste for both of them. For a while, Jay had managed to convince Evie that he was far worse than his father, Jafar, and she and Carlos had kept away from the boy the best they could; however, once they came to Auradon for school that perspective had changed significantly. Carlos grew close to Jay first, then Evie noticed the shift in his behavior, only to find that he had only acted the way he had on the Isle in a desperate attempt to impress his father; they all had been desperate for their parents’ attention. Now, it was one of the last things they desired.

            When the sight of the ball reshaping the back of the net appeared before the crowd’s eyes everyone rose for the second time that game, drowning out the buzzer that signaled for the end of the game; the Fighting Knights had won their first game of the season. Evie cheered ecstatically along with the crowd as the team blurred together around Jay and Chad, becoming a large mass of blue and yellow. Turning to her left she bounced in her spot, Lonnie’s fingers clasping around hers tightly.

            “And the Fighting Knights of last year return to take this game away with them!” The announcer’s voice floated over the roar of the crowd. “Undoubtedly, the Most Valuable Player for this game was Chad Charming, who set up his team for victory with great blocks whenever they were needed!”

            A smile curled the corners of her mouth when she heard the announcer’s words, feeling that Chad definitely deserved the game title, especially considering he had only gone down once through the entire game. At the mention of Chad’s name, Lonnie steadied herself on the bleachers to look over her shoulder at the blonde prince being lifted onto the shoulders of his teammates. Evie couldn’t stop the involuntary action of her mouth curving even further upward as she watched Lonnie and Chad exchange bright smiles, their eyes locked on one another through the distance separating them as the team carried Chad across the field.

            Squeezing the hands in her own gently, Evie got Lonnie’s attention. “Go.”

            “Go where?” Lonnie questioned with a quiet clearing of her throat, the girl once again hiding from others.

            “Go wait for him,” Evie clarified anyway, nodding in the direction the boys had disappeared in. “Ask him if he wants to get something to eat.”

            Lonnie looked as though she were about to deny that she wanted to be with Chad – like she often did – but after a moment of internal debate she merely returned the light squeeze.

            “You sure?” Lonnie asked, looking caught between two equally appealing options. “I mean; we usually get dinner together after the game.”

            “I am absolutely positive,” Evie confirmed, smiling brightly at her friend. “I’ll get something with Carlos. Now, go on.”

            With a lasting smile, Lonnie nodded and let go of Evie’s hands to make her way down the bleachers and over to the small building, meeting with the other girls waiting just outside the lockers for a specific player. That group was one Evie strayed from joining considering it was structured of girls dating a member of the team, and despite having spent the majority of her life being constantly lectured by her mother about finding a handsome prince to take care of she found herself completely uninterested in having a prince. Not only did she want to allow herself the luxury of finding a true, undeniable love in any ranking – royal or not – but she also wanted something her mother had never made an option for her; a prin _cess_ , so to speak.

            Shortly after Auradon had finally accepted her, Carlos, and Jay as more than the children of their enemies she had started dating Doug; however, it hadn’t been much longer after then that she realized why she had never been capable of finding pure joy in any of her relationships. At first, the idea of being interested in girls the way she was supposed to like boys dangled just out of her reach, her mother having always taught her that her only option for love was in a wealthy prince. It took a lengthy conversation with Lonnie for her to understand that her options weren’t limited in any way, and that she could be attracted to whoever, whether they were a prince or a citizen, a boy or a girl. And paired with the realization that she didn’t need a romantic relationship to be worthy she found an oversized weight had been lifted from her aching shoulders. She didn’t have feelings for anyone, so she remained single, and despite her mother telling her she needed to be with someone constantly she found that it was better to be single than to be with someone she felt absolutely nothing for. She had stopped letting her mother control her mind and realized that there was more to people than just the way they looked, more to her than just her looks. Attraction was merely the first step to falling in love, and it was followed by so much more.

            “Alone again? What a sad life you live.”

            Evie didn’t have to meet the new arrival’s eyes to know it was Audrey. Not only had she gotten far more familiar with the girl’s voice than she would have preferred, but she was also the only person in Auradon who still refused to give her a real chance. She tried not to worry too much about it though, knowing there were even those among the ‘good’ that disliked each other, often thinking of Jane, and the way everyone had treated her solely because of her hair. Still, the thought that Audrey didn’t like her because of who she was bothered her; no one here had any valid reason to hate her outside the things she had done in fear of what her mother would do to her if she hadn’t. And in that case, Audrey should still refuse to accept Jay and Carlos along with her; but she didn’t. It was only her Audrey didn’t like.

            She ignored Audrey, keeping her gaze locked on the door she knew Carlos would appear from as if she hadn’t heard the girl. It wasn’t left to simmer from existence though, Audrey would never let that happen. The smaller girl stepped up to the bleacher she stood on, making a show of following the trail Evie’s gaze created.

            “Jay’s not going to go out with you,” Audrey started, misinterpreting who she was waiting for. “He and _I_ have plans for tonight’s dinner.”

            That was more than likely Evie’s least favorite thing about Audrey; she was dating Jay. Some people – mostly only Audrey – thought it was because she wanted to be the one with Jay, but that theory strayed far from being fact. A major portion of her warned her that there was a lurking explanation for Audrey’s abrupt romantic interest in Jay, mainly considering she had previously despised the thought of him before they became an item. If Audrey had immediately shown interest in Jay when they had first arrived than she would feel differently, however, the fact that the girl had committed everything in her power to get them banished back to the Isle drew the suspicions from inside her. Evie didn’t trust Audrey’s true intentions with her best friend, and she never would.

            “Sounds sweet,” Evie replied, flashing Audrey her most convincing smile, well aware that she appeared whole-heartedly delighted by the news. “I hope you two have a great time together. _I_ was planning on getting dinner with Carlos.”

            Audrey seemed stunned by the sincerity in her voice, clearly having expected her to lash out in a fit of jealousy. The next words she spoke though caught Evie off guard, the girl’s attempts to break her having never ventured from the topic of her nonexistent feelings for Jay.

            “So, what then? You realized you had no chance with Jay and moved onto Carlos?” Audrey questioned, desperately grasping for a rise from her. “Or… you’ve always been into Carlos.”

            Evie let Audrey believe she was talking herself into an answer, figuring that, if the girl needed to believe she fancied someone, Carlos would be the most tolerable rumor. Carlos was easily her favorite person to be with, and she loved him more than she loved anyone else, so she didn’t see an issue with Audrey thinking she felt something further than friendship for the younger boy; she was tired of trying to get her to see the truth.

            “If you say so,” Evie shrugged, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth when she spotted Carlos exiting the team building, Jay’s arm draped over his shoulders. “Look, _our_ boys are ready.”

            She meant it sarcastically, but she wasn’t the least bit surprised when Audrey leached onto her words.

            “ _Our_?” Audrey blinked a few times; Evie couldn’t tell if it was due to confusion, or surprise. “So it’s not just a hopeless one-sided thing, you two are actually _together_?”

            Evie couldn’t suppress an eye-roll as she made her way down the stairs of the bleachers and in the direction of the boys; Audrey following after her.

            “So _that’s_ the kind of boy you’re interested in?” Audrey questioned, falling in step beside her. “Wow, and here I thought you actually had good taste when you’ve been chasing the pathetic ones.”

            A sudden, powerful feeling ignited from directly inside her chest, a scorching heat traveling at a relentless speed through her veins and making her feel as though Audrey had set her on fire. She knew she was angry, she knew the feeling well since arriving in Auradon, but she had never felt _this_ intensity before. The power of her fury raged freely throughout her, filling every crevice of her body with surging energy and seemingly releasing it through her pores to mingle with the oxygen surrounding her. The fury felt rooted to her at the same time it felt disconnected from her.

            “Excuse you,” Evie arched her eyebrow and placed her hands on her hips, silently challenging Audrey to continue.

            The emotion was definitely inside her, the idea that anyone would even dream to fire a single shot at Carlos infuriating her; and although she knew the gun from which the bullet was released from was aimed to pierce her she couldn’t believe anyone would sink low enough to drag Carlos somewhere he didn’t belong. But she still felt different, she felt stronger; unbreakable even. Inside her was an unwavering fury that forced the urge to connect her knuckles to Audrey’s nose onto her, making it an urge she barely managed to control.

            It was as if something was intensifying her emotional response and urging her to physically respond in ways she normally never would; no matter how much she thought of doing so. And though she had never been the slightest bit violent there were definitely times where she had wished she could smack Audrey onto the Isle of the Lost. More often than not, the emotions driving that wish weren’t even built from anger but from self-conscious thoughts that Audrey purposefully placed in the front of her mind because, despite her constant denial, she was acutely aware that Audrey had a talent for draining every ounce of progress she had made toward accepting herself for who she truly was.

            “What’s your problem?” A victorious smile crept its way into Audrey’s features; she had gotten what she had wanted. “Did I strike a nerve reminding you that your _boyfriend_ is nothing more than a useless puppy that cowers from everything?”

            As Evie’s eyes narrowed the crowned heart resting against her chest pulsed viciously, searing her skin through the material of her shirt, and she found herself taking a small, surprised step back when her mind registered the scene that had begun unfolding in front of her.

            Before either of them could even part their lips to verbalize another thought the ground directly below them had shaken violently, a blinding burst of light burning through the lenses of Evie’s eyes. Her eyes reflexively squinted in self-defense, but the light was gone as quickly as it had appeared, and instead she found herself staring at a shrieking Audrey, roots that looked as though they belonged deep in the earth wrapping tightly around nearly every inch of her body. Through her shock, Evie felt another pang of anger for Audrey course through her chest, and the roots yanked the girl harshly to the ground, snaking around her midsection, almost like a threat. After that, Evie felt the anger draining from her body as shock took over completely, and she could only remain where she stood, her own feet feeling as though they had been rooted to the ground beneath them. She glanced around frantically, searching for any plausible cause for the unexplainable roots, finding that it was exactly that; utterly unexplainable. Even the area the roots had broken through the ground appeared completely undisturbed.

            Then the heat from her necklace slowly faded.

            Jay rushed into her view, quickly dropping to the ground beside Audrey to begin tearing and unwinding the roots from around his terrified and perplexed girlfriend. And then Carlos was by her side.

            “What just happened?” Carlos asked in bewilderment, fingers clasping the end of the leash attached to Dude’s collar.

            But Evie barely heard him, her mind hazy from the sudden switch in her emotions; fury shifting to confusion, an edge of fear hanging tightly onto it. Mindlessly, she reached up to clasp the crowned heart cooling against her chest, an unsteady breath leaving her lips when she found it pulsing to the same rhythm of her heartbeat.


	3. Chapter 3

**_(Mal)_ **

The overwhelming sensation wrenching her body gave Mal an unsettling, vivid imagery of her insides twisting around each other with a vice-like grip, and the two mixed together was nearly enough to force her into a hunched position that would allow the bubbling bile to burn through her throat. Fortunately, it vanished the second it settled fully over her. The scenery shifted in front of her, and her legs buckled underneath her weight as soon as her feet touched solid ground, dropping her to her hands and knees. She swallowed thickly, forcing the lingering threat of bile down as she reacquainted herself with the feeling of life around her and a solid footing beneath her. _That’s the last time I’m traveling that way. Next time, I’m flying_.

            Pushing herself to her feet she brushed the gravel from the new indents in her palms, breathing deeply to rid her body of its remaining nausea. An annoyed grunt escaped her lips and echoed through the area when she saw the state of her leather pants, the usual dark purple now covered by light brown and grey rocks. _Great, just what I needed_. After cleaning the debris from her pants she straightened her posture to take in her surroundings.

            She was surrounded by trees.

            Blowing out a heavy puff of air she glanced around in hope to find any indication that could lead her to where she needed to be given she had no clue where she was currently, other than in the woods. When she turned to search the trees behind her she found her gaze lifting to the area of sky visible above the rows of green as a stone castle appeared before her. _Found it_. She could only see the top of the castle but she knew it wasn’t a great distance from where she stood – maybe five miles at the most. After locating the bag she had brought with her she quickly retrieved it and started in the direction of the castle.

            _First, you will use this transport to get to Auradon safely, and without further delay_.

            She had done that, though she wouldn’t exactly call it safe when she had literally had to fear for her internal organs staying intact.

            _Then, you will have to get to the castle and find Evie. You are to do everything in your power to protect the artifact, and the girl. And finally, when there is no longer anyone after the necklace, you are to confiscate it from her and bring it back to me, no matter what it takes_.

            Mal honestly had no idea as to why Head wanted possession of the artifact given the fact that it would be completely useless to him. It was obvious that the necklace only worked for the girl who currently had it, considering it had been dormant for hundreds of years, the only thing reactivating its power being the touch of the girl. _You must be one special girl, huh? To be the only one who can command such a powerful artifact_. She figured the girl had extremely powerful magic running through her veins. _But in that case, why would I need to protect her? Couldn’t she protect herself? And how would I get the necklace from her if she could waste me with one look?_ She wished Head had given her more information on the girl besides the fact that her name was Evie and that she was currently in her last year at Auradon Prep High School. _Which makes her… seventeen? Eighteen?_ Either way, she couldn’t be much older than Mal herself, maybe a year at the most considering she herself had only turned seventeen during summer training – how she remembered her birthday she had no idea, especially since she couldn’t recall anything else about her life before the age of seven.

            _Why does any of this matter?_ She honestly had no idea why she was wondering about the girl’s age. _Well_ , she began in her mind, thinking of excuses as to why she had just spent the best part of five minutes mulling over the girl’s age; _the closer we are in age, the more likely it’ll be for me to protect her if I could manage…_

            But her orders ran strong in the front of her mind, specifically the words Head had spoken as she left.

            _Oh, and Agent? Whatever happens, remember that Evie must never know you exist_.

            It would never matter how close in age she was with Evie – or any of the other students for that matter – she was to go about the mission the way she was forced to live the rest of her life; nonexistent to others. It was between two options when it came to her; she was either seen as weak and useless, or she was completely nonexistent. Even Head seemed to find her useless despite his admiration for what he called her _gift_. It was all she knew because it defined her life. _Weak. Useless. Hopeless. Forgotten. Unloved_. It defined her – no matter how much she wanted to believe otherwise – because it was all she had ever known to be. She couldn’t remember being anything else. _You’re only what the majority view of you_. A phrase that had become the training mantra. Everything is decided by the majority; an agent is only as good as others think they are. And she could only guess that it was the same outside of agencies, that, as a person, one could only be what others thought of them because it’s impossibly tiring working to be different.

_But I’m not weak. I’m the best fighter in training class._

_A class you hadn’t managed to get out of for six years._

_But I am out in the field, now, meaning I can’t be useless. Head needs me to complete this mission, not anyone else_.

            She shut off her internal dialogue the way she always did; by reminding herself that, whether she truly was what others believed her to be or someone contrastingly different, it was the best way to live. She didn’t believe any of it in any way, but she had heard the description spoken enough times that it had embed itself in her mind, tricking her into believing they were her own thoughts even though they were the farthest thing from. Not knowing how to be anything other than unimportant in the eyes of others didn’t mean she was the same in her own eyes. Alone was better. Being alone didn’t translate to being lonely. She preferred to experience everything on her own, she didn’t crave anyone’s affection in the slightest, and she constantly kept Head at the end of a twenty-foot diameter because of that; she didn’t need him to be there for her, to care for her. She didn’t need anyone. All she needed was herself. And she had that, she knew and understood herself better than anyone else ever would; and she was nothing like the others thought of her.

            It would be the exact same in Auradon as well; she wouldn’t need any of them. She would use and manipulate whoever she had to in order to protect the girl, then she would silence her herself and take the artifact. However, instead of going back to the agency to wait for the next mission, she will instead drop the necklace straight into Head’s greedy and unworthy hands, and proceed to tell him to go f…

            “How did you get your hair to look like that?”

            Mal came to an abrupt halt – both in her thoughts and her movements – barely managing to refrain from striking reflexively by quickly reminding herself that she was now in Auradon, among casual, nonthreatening citizens. She immediately shifted her gaze to the girl that had stepped directly into her path, only just now realizing that her thought process had drawn her far enough from reality that she hadn’t paid any attention to her surroundings; and she could tell simply from the area behind the strange girl that she was no longer in the woods. Studying the girl for a moment she noted her dark brown, bobbed hairstyle, the bright colors of her outfit, and the infuriatingly ecstatic smile etched into her features.

            Mal arched her eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

            “Your hair! It’s so amazing!” The girl exclaimed, reaching up to caress the ends of her hair.

            Mal batted her hand away forcefully, eyebrows furrowing. “ _Never_ do that.”

            “Sorry,” the girl dropped her hands in front of her, the smile on her face never ceasing.

            It struck Mal’s nerves irritatingly.

            “Have I seen you around here before?” The girl asked, briefly studying her appearance; Mal scowled. “I think I would have recognized you if I had.”

            This time Mal raised both her eyebrows, a silent warning; _you better watch yourself_. It was a one-sided conversation, but for some reason the bobbed-haired girl didn’t seem to mind.

            “I’m Lonnie, by the way,” the overly-friendly girl said, holding out her hand for Mal to take.

            She didn’t. “Mal.”

            “That’s a cool name,” Lonnie responded ecstatically; the way she seemed to always respond. “Anyway, do you go to Auradon Prep?”

            Those were the first words the girl had spoken that intrigued Mal, simply because of two newly familiar words; Auradon Prep.

            “No,” Mal answered, shifting her posture slightly in attempt to appear more friendly. “Do you?”

            She wasn’t acquainted with the act of being kind, and she definitely wasn’t very talented at it because her tone came out almost as if she were threatening the girl; she didn’t care though, she didn’t have any reason to stay friendly for long.

            “Yes! It’s a fantastic school!” Lonnie said delightedly, clearly missing the harsh tone in Mal’s voice, or choosing to ignore it. “I’m sad I’m finished after this year, but excited to move on, you know.”

            Mal forced a smile. “You talk too much.”

            Before Lonnie could fully register and respond to her statement, Mal took an intimidating step toward the taller girl and met her gaze directly. A pleasant tingling sensation overtook Mal’s body as she locked Lonnie into her stare forcibly – though the girl didn’t put up much fight – her magic rooting deep into the mind of the other girl. When Lonnie’s eyes shun green she knew the girl was prepared to answer anything she had to ask.

            “Now, tell me something of use,” Mal started, immensely enjoying the feeling of being able to influence people freely after many torturous years of close monitoring ensuring she never did. “Do you know who Evie is?’

            “Yes, she’s my best friend despite where she came from,” Lonnie answered submissively, incapable of tearing her dazed gaze from Mal’s fierce one.

            _Best friend, huh? How lucky for me_. An actual smile appeared on Mal’s face, her nose scrunching because of it. Though she didn’t much care for the ending of the answer she found herself slightly curious as to where Evie had come from that provoked such an add-on.

            “You just became useful to me,” Mal stated, holding the girl’s gaze and allowing more magic to flow through her body rapidly. “So, Lonnie, _where_ could I possibly find her at this time of day?”

            “She’s in advanced chemistry.”

            Mal groaned audibly, _of course she’s in class_. “When will she be out?”

            “In ten minutes.”

            “ _Then_ where can I find her?”

            “The outside cafeteria for lunch.”

            “Thanks, buddy,” Mal smiled, releasing her influence on the girl and patting her on the shoulder lightly before heading toward the castle.

            _If everyone in Auradon is like her, I’ll kill myself_. She desperately hoped Evie wasn’t nearly as overly-ecstatic as Lonnie, knowing that she definitely wouldn’t be able to handle watching over her for long if that were the case.

            Mal had no idea where she was going, let alone where the cafeteria was, but as she got closer to the castle she found a smaller stone building next to it, blue and yellow flags extending from various stones to whip through the air. _Well, I’m no professional_ , she thought as she caught glimpse of the design on the flag; _but that looks like a high school_. Scoping the area around the high school she found outside lockers, a sports field, and – furthest from her – several tables set up in the shade of nearby trees. There were students occupying various places, and a whole group jostling around the field – which she figured was a class.

            _Okay_ , she released a heavy breath; _get to the lunch area… or, what you_ think _is the lunch area. Wait for class to be out. Figure out which one is Evie_. It sounded simple enough, until Head’s orders floated through her mind again. _You are to keep from the Auradon resident’s suspicion and curiosity. Speak to no one and stick to the shadows_. Then it was no longer an easy task. She had no clue how she was supposed to avoid _everyone_ who lived in Auradon and protect the girl at the same time. Not to mention she had already spoken – and given her name to – one person, a person who just happened to be Evie’s best friend. _This is definitely going to be harder than Head led on_. Of course, she had already known that bit of information, but for some reason now unknown to her, she had believed it would be easier to avoid being noticed. However, now, as she stood surveying the openness of Auradon, she realized just how difficult that rule would be to follow. Staying away from Evie, that could be done with ease, but avoiding drawing attention to herself; nearly impossible.

            So she decided to play by her own rules. _You want the artifact; I’ll get you the artifact. But it’ll be done by_ my _rules, not yours_.

 

**_(Evie)_ **

The offbeat symphony of a dozen lockers slamming shut filled the air as every student attending Auradon Prep readied themselves for the lunch period. Evie took her time at her locker, waiting for Jay like she always did, the boy insisting they head to lunch together since their classes were the same distance from their assigned lockers. She sighed as she closed her locker and slung her one-strapped bag over her shoulder, hoping her friend wouldn’t bring his girlfriend to lunch with them again; she didn’t think she could remain in Audrey’s presence for even a minute after what had happened the day before. Just as the thought came to her mind it was pushed aside as Jay came around the corner, his long hair tied back and his arms bared by his usual leather tank-top. She internally rolled her eyes; _does he ever wear anything else?_

            “Hey, Evie, you ready?” Jay questioned, hitting her with what he believed to be his award-winning smile.

            “Don’t you need to get anything from your locker?” Evie asked, gesturing to his locker with the hand that wasn’t hugging her textbook to her chest.

            “Nah,” he waved his hand dismissively. “I’ll get it after lunch. Let’s go.”

            Deciding against pointing out that his choice would make him late for his next class Evie fell in step beside him, and they both left in the direction of the cafeteria. A small, comfortable silence fell over them as they walked, one that Evie found herself needing to break when she thought of the game yesterday.

            “Why are you dating Audrey?”

            Jay turned to look at her as he got trays of food for both of them; a habit that she had eventually given up on changing because he always took the tray from her hands when she grabbed it herself. Under his curious gaze she felt like looking away, but she resisted the urge, acting as though it had been nothing more than a casual question. Despite her exterior composure her heart was pounding against her ribcage under his scrutiny, and she swore she felt the necklace around her neck turning cold with her fear of how Jay would respond.

            Instead, he just shrugged. “I don’t know. She’s pretty, and I kind of like the way she is with me. She’s different with me than she is with everyone else. Nicer, less bossy.”

            _Because she’s trying to trick you into believing she’s nice so she can use you_. Were the words she desperately wanted to say but didn’t.

            “Why?” Jay spoke again before she could form a more appropriate response. “Is she still messing with you? If she is, just tell me and I’ll sort it out.”

            Evie shook her head. “No, everything’s fine.”

            “Are you sure?” Jay arched his eyebrow; Evie knew that look, and therefore knew what his next words were. “Because she seems to think you attacked her yesterday after the game.”

            Evie’s posture immediately stiffened as her heartbeat accelerated to an unhealthy rate, and this time she was certain her necklace had frozen against her skin. When she glanced down at the crowned heart she almost expected to see ice-crystals decorating its edges, but knowing better she wasn’t surprised when it looked as it always did. She brought her hand up to clasp her fingers around the jewel, only to immediately let it go when a sudden jolt of pain shot up her arm, the red heart burning her skin icily. _I am so close to throwing this necklace into the enchanted lake_.

            “She’s kidding, right?” Evie forced out a believable laugh, attempting to push the necklace from her mind. “As if I could make the earth attack anyone.”

            “I know, it’s ridiculous,” Jay laughed, carrying both of their trays to their usual table where Doug was already sitting. “You’ve never had magic before, and I’m sure if you did have magic you would have done much worse to Chad last year than spray him with a sleep perfume.”

            Evie sighed in relief knowing he thought Audrey was insane for casting such accusations; though she herself didn’t exactly think Audrey was far from the truth. _What else could it have been besides the necklace?_ She definitely had fair reason to believe it was the necklace her mother had given her, and Audrey had just as much reason to believe it was her; but that was the issue. Neither of them made any sense. She would never attack anyone, no matter how much they deserved to be put in their place, so it couldn’t have been her who attacked Audrey; _could it?_ As for her hunch, it was utterly ridiculous. The only object that could possess magic of its own was a wand, any other object with magic merely channeled it from a magical being; which she definitely wasn’t. Sure, her mother had magic, but whoever her father was had to have siphoned it from rooting into Evie because she had never been capable of using magic, and she would have been able to access it by now.

            As Jay set their trays on opposite sides of the table she thanked him like she always did, dropping into her seat on the bench beside Doug and smiling at the nerdy boy. She looked around for Carlos and Lonnie, wondering where they were, especially considering they both usually showed up before her and Jay. Just as she shifted her attention back to her lunch someone sat heavily on the open bench space beside her, so she turned to meet Lonnie’s gaze, already knowing it was her.

            “Oh my gosh, so I just met this girl with the _coolest_ hair,” Lonnie started ecstatically, brown eyes bright. “I’ve never seen her here before, but she looks about Carlos’ age, so she must be going here, and…”

            “Whoa, slow down there, Lon,” Jay chuckled, a large, amused smile stretching across his face. “Don’t forget the needed act of breathing.”

            Lonnie blinked at him a few times before turning back to Evie. “I’m going to ask her if she’ll help me make my hair look cool.”

            “A girl you don’t even know?” Doug asked, his face screwing up in concern for Lonnie’s impulsive plan.

            “I know her enough,” Lonnie replied, meeting Doug’s eyes. “Her name is Mal. Plus, she was asking where she could find Evie, so I figured she must know her.”

            At the mention of her name Evie became more invested in the conversation, and she looked up, her mind reeling. “I don’t know anyone named Mal.”

            “Oh,” Lonnie appeared disappointed, as if Evie not knowing the girl ruined her plans to get her hair fixed. “She seemed to know you.”

            “Maybe she’s like… a long lost cousin, or something,” Jay offered.

            Evie fixed him with a look, letting out a dull, sarcastic laugh. “Very funny, Jay, but I know every member of my family. And besides, Mal is _not_ a name that would be in _my_ family.”

            “Right,” Jay drawled tiredly, shoving a fork-full of food in his mouth before continuing; Evie cringed, _disgusting_. “I forgot your family is made up of princess-y names. Because Evie is _so_ elegant.”

            “Please swallow your food before you talk,” Evie shut her eyes and breathed deeply, ignoring his slash at her name. “It’s rude to do otherwise.”

            If it had been anyone else who had asked, Evie knew that Jay would have just done it again mockingly, but because it was her he sent her an apologetic look and swallowed the chewed-up food in his mouth. At that, the table fell into a short silence, one that they all knew was destined to be shattered by Lonnie. However, it was broken by a late-arriving Carlos; he wasn’t usually last to their table.

            “Hey, is something up?” Evie asked the youngest boy, eyebrows knitting in concern at his late arrival.

            “Yeah, bro, you’re usually the second one here,” Jay spoke up, clearly sharing her concern. “Is that teacher already giving you a hard time again? Because I swear I’ll rip…”

            “Relax, man,” Carlos stopped Jay with a laugh, Dude hopping on the bench beside him when he sat down. “I just got held up…”

            “By what?” Jay questioned curiously, acting as though he hadn’t been about to threaten the life of a teacher.

            “I was about to say, if you’d just let me finish,” Carlos lightly smacked him before focusing his attention on Evie. “Someone was asking for you, Evie.”

            Evie swallowed thickly, her necklace turning cold again as her heart rate increased. She was thinking about what Lonnie had said; _she seemed to know you_.

            “That’s so odd!” Lonnie spoke first, seemingly seeing no correlation between the two occurrences; and maybe there wasn’t, but Evie couldn’t help but grow fearful. “Someone asked me about Evie today, too!”

            “Who was asking for me, Carlos?” Evie asked, struggling to keep her voice from shaking as she prayed it wasn’t the same girl that Lonnie had run into; _Mal, or something similar to that_.

            “Um… I don’t know her name, but she’s just over…” Carlos trailed off after turning in his seat to point in the direction he had come from. “Uh, never mind. She’s not there anymore. I mean, I asked if she wanted to sit with us, but she denied the offer.”

            “Seems creepy to me,” Jay gave his opinion, keeping his stare on Evie, as if daring her to disagree.

            Carlos shrugged and went back to eating. Evie couldn’t help but let her gaze flicker continuously over the boy’s shoulder in search for the anonymous girl who had asked him about her, her necklace throbbing against her chest in warning; _you know this isn’t normal. Don’t go anywhere near anyone you don’t know_. But she didn’t need her necklace’s warning, she wasn’t going to do anything that had even the slightest bit of danger written on its cover.


	4. Chapter 4

**_(Evie)_ **

A heavy sigh escaped through Evie’s parted lips as she rested her chin in the palm of her hand, her elbow pressing into the cold surface of the table in front of her. Every word the teacher was spewing out in the form of a lecture passed right over her, never even coming close to finding their way to her ears, let alone her brain; she couldn’t focus. Well, that was a lie, she just couldn’t focus on school. Instead, her mind continuously locked on the feeling of the chain encasing her neck and the heavy jewel that seemed to weigh down her heart. It was unusual and immensely worrisome to her. _The feeling of a necklace?_ Typically, she couldn’t feel her necklaces unless she moved in a way that caused the charm to bounce against wherever it rested, however, she was hyper aware of the one currently looping her neck.

            She went back over the warning she had felt the necklace send her earlier, instead applying it to the necklace itself. _This isn’t normal_. She couldn’t help but want to rid herself of the necklace, but her heart squeezed with guilt whenever she decided to remove it, which ultimately forced her to keep it. _My mother gave it to me. It’s a family heirloom_. She felt terrible for even debating the idea; _I can’t just get rid of it when it means something to my family. When it should mean something to me_. And it did; it just didn’t change the fact that it terrified her at the same time.

            The sound of someone sneezing brought Evie back to reality with a sudden and unpleasant tug. _Oh my goodness, no_. Looking around she realized that she had completely missed the assignment. _No, no, no, no, no_. She chewed nervously on the inside of her cheek, telling herself she needed to ask the teacher for the assignment, but not being able to bring herself to do it; _she’s just going to think poorly of me_. And that was one of the last things she wanted. She _never_ wanted the teachers at Auradon Prep to think she didn’t appreciate learning because it happened to be the thing she loved the most.

            However, by the time she had built up the nerve to approach the stern-mouthed teacher something else demanded her attention undividedly; the necklace. Once again, the gold chain had turned into crystalized ice against her heated skin, freezing to the goosebumps its touch formed. _It freezes with my fear_. She had no idea how and no clue why, but it definitely correlated with the emotions playing inside of her, and it hadn’t taken her long to figure that information out. She thought back to the tourney game, recalling that the necklace had scorched her skin when she had grown infuriated. _So, it freezes with my fear, and heats with my anger_. She feared what else it might do. _Like tear apart the earth to attack people_. Shaking her head, she told herself she was being ridiculous. _A necklace alone can’t possibly have that much power and control, even if it_ is _hundreds of years old_.

            By the time the class got out her mind had become completely lost in an internal debate, and the only thing that managed to grasp her attention was the teacher clearing her throat directly in front of her table. Evie started, reaching to gather her books clumsily as she muttered a quiet apology to the woman, cheeks painted with a shocking red.

            Hurrying out of the classroom she readjusted the books in her arms so they were easier to hold to her chest as she made her way to the outside lockers. The other teenagers were messing around just outside the building, faces lit with the joy of knowing the end of the school day led into the weekend.

            “Evie, guess what?” Lonnie’s voice filled her ears over the unceremonious chatter.

            Evie glanced over her shoulder at her best friend after opening her locker. “You’ve got plans this weekend?”

            “Yes!” Lonnie exclaimed, even more ecstatic than usual; Evie could tell something was different.

            “Okay…” Evie drew out as she organized her books and journals in her locker before shutting it. “So, are you going to tell me this exciting plan, or not?” She couldn’t help but smile at the sight of just how happy her friend was.

            Lonnie looked as though she were about to burst with the amount of delight shaping her features and the way she bounced wildly on her toes. “Chad asked me out on a date!”

            Evie’s jaw dropped the slightest bit before her surprised expression transformed into her own joy. _Took long enough_. “Lonnie that’s fantastic news! Is the date tonight?”

            “Yes!” Lonnie nodded, face flushed from being overwhelmed by her own joy. “I’m so excited, he says he’s taking me somewhere _really_ nice. I wonder where it’s going to be.”

            “Alright, calm down,” Evie tried settling the girl, but to no avail. She decided to let her friend react as she was. “Do you need any help getting ready?”

            To her surprise, Lonnie declined the offer. “No thanks, I want to know he likes the way _I_ choose to dress without any help. If that makes any sense.”

            “It does,” Evie smiled warmly at the girl, reaching out to touch Lonnie’s arm affectionately. “You two have a fantastic night.”

            “What are your plans?” Lonnie questioned curiously.

            “I’m not sure I have any,” Evie answered honestly. “I think I’ll see what Carlos and Jay are up to.”

            “We should get together tomorrow after the game, so I can tell you all about the date,” Lonnie suggested.

            Evie nodded in agreement. “A _date_ you should go get ready for.”

            “Right!” Lonnie exclaimed, grabbing Evie’s hands. “I’ll text you when it’s over.”

            Before Evie could respond, Lonnie was hurrying toward the dorms at an impressive pace. _I had no idea anyone could walk that fast without it becoming a run_. Shaking her head in amusement she readjusted her bag on her shoulder and head in the direction Lonnie had disappeared in, not being able to keep her mouth from curling into a wide smile. _My friends are insane_. The thought made her smile even more as she made her way to the dorms as well.

            Halfway through her journey her necklace heated again, searing the skin directly beneath it in what Evie could only receive as a warning; _something’s wrong_. Suddenly, she got the overwhelming feeling of being watched, and – almost as if she was being controlled by someone else – she whipped around quickly, surveying every inch of the area around her. No one. There was nobody watching her, yet her skin continued to prickle with the discomfort.

            With the feeling urging her, Evie remembered the conversations that had occurred at the beginning of the lunch period, the conversations about two people asking for her in less than an hour. _What if it wasn’t two separate people? What if it was the same girl?_ She recalled Carlos announcing it had been a girl, and Lonnie had made it obvious the person who had asked for her had been a girl, even giving a name; a name that now evaded Evie’s memory. She didn’t think it was important though, not since she had decided to avoid every stranger she happened to cross paths with. _If they don’t attend the school and they’re on school campus, walk away_. It was her plan to avoid strangers, but she trusted everyone enrolled in the school because she didn’t see any reason for another student to be classified as a threat to her. Even if it was another student it was more likely that they were merely infatuated and too shy to approach her themselves than it was for them to be interested in harming her in any way. _Relax, Evie_ , she told herself, forcing her lungs to draw in a deep breath; _this necklace is making me far too paranoid_.

            Trying her best to shake the unnerving feeling of being watched she finished her journey to the dorm buildings and pushed through the doors. Almost immediately after entering the chain cooled to a normal temperature, causing her to blow out air in silent relief as her muscles relaxed. As she made her way up the stairs she decided she was going to check on the boys like she had told Lonnie she was going to, and – as it usually was – the door was already open when she got there. She found Jay lounging on his bed watching Carlos take his turn on the video game they both loved to no end. _Typical boys_.

            “Hey, Evie,” Jay acknowledged her entrance, patting the bed beside where he lay. “Come enjoy the show with me, Carlos keeps failing the mission.”

            “It’s a hard mission!” Carlos shot back, bending his body in attempt to avoid an oncoming laser beam; he succeeded.

            Evie thought it was ridiculous considering it would be impossible for anyone to dodge something traveling at them with that velocity. Jay seemed to notice what she was thinking.

            “It’s just a game, you know,” Jay stated nonchalantly.

            “I know,” Evie announced, sitting carefully on the edge of Jay’s bed and swinging her legs onto the mattress to stretch in front of her. “That’s why I didn’t _say_ anything. However, I can’t help what I think, Jay.”

            “And you _think_ this game is stupid,” Jay spoke it as a statement instead of a question.

            “No, I just find it a little ridiculous,” Evie corrected him.

            “Right,” Jay nodded, tossing his arm around her shoulders and pulling her into him; Evie had to hold back a flinch. “What would you know, though? You’ve never played it.”

            “And I never will,” Evie stated, allowing her body to lean into Jay’s, the boy’s touch still unsettling her given their past.

            That is, until she felt it. Something extremely unfamiliar.

            A sudden and nearly overwhelming warmth spread through her body, starting in her chest and reaching to every crevice with a relaxing heat. She couldn’t place the feeling or figure out the causation, but it was almost as if she felt secure. Like she felt safe from everything; from her necklace; from her overload of work; from the idea of a stranger following her. She just felt incredibly _safe_ ; from the world and everything that could possibly be upset within it.

            She felt a tug, almost like a lure, pulling her toward something – toward the feeling – yet her body never moved, and the urge only grew stronger the longer the warmth lasted. Her necklace now hung silent and weightless around her neck, no warning or sensation screaming from it, almost as if it were like every other necklace she had ever worn; there but not noticeable. The urge nearly ushered her to her feet, out of the boys’ room, and closer to where the feeling was emanating from; though she had no idea where that was.

            However – much to her displeasure – the feeling dissipated soon after it had started, leaving behind an empty hole only vaguely filled by disappointment. And then the necklace burned her skin enough to make her jump suddenly, gaining both boys’ undivided attention, the video game becoming more of a background noise than a main focus.

            “Gee, Evie, what’s wrong with you today?” Jay questioned, removing his arm from around her shoulders, seemingly believing his touch had been what made her react.

            “Yeah, you’ve had that look on your face all day,” Carlos added, clearly not caring that the screen kept flashing _FAILED_ at his back.

            She was at a loss for what to tell them, figuring neither of them would believe her about the necklace; _unless they felt it_ … Evie perked up, quickly shooting her hand up to wrap around her necklace; except this time, when it scorched her hand, she felt hope flooding through her body. _Unless they felt it!_ No longer being able to hold her jewel due to the heat she let it fall back against her chest, her eyes searching Jay’s.

            “It’s my necklace,” Evie answered finally, pointing to the jewel. “It keeps acting weird.”

            “Your… your necklace is acting weird?” Jay arched his eyebrow in disbelief, gaze flickering to the crowned heart. “Evie, you do realize how insane that sounds, right?”

            “Yes, I do!” Evie exclaimed, exasperated. “Just… just touch it, I swear it’s hot enough to burn your skin right now.”

            Jay and Carlos exchanged looks of confusion, and Evie only shifted her gaze between the two boys, waiting for one of them to do as she said. Carlos was the first to step forward, reaching out carefully to wrap his fingers around the red jewel. Evie waited anxiously, wondering why he hadn’t torn his hand away immediately.

            “It um… it feels like a necklace, Evie,” Carlos spoke after a moment, his words causing Evie’s heart to sink into her stomach.

            _It feels like a necklace_. She turned to Jay, urging him to give his opinion.

            Jay pulled the jewel from where it rested against her chest, sliding his long fingers around the heart as if he were going to crush it in his hand; part of Evie wished he would. Carlos not having felt anything made her desperate for Jay to feel the heat of it, and she kept her eyes locked on his face as he stared at the jewel in his hand, seeming to contemplate it.

            “It feels normal,” Jay stated, finally meeting Evie’s gaze.

            Evie groaned externally, smacking his hand away and grabbing the heart herself, the heat of it burning through her skin and reaching for her bones. She dropped it against her chest again, no longer being able to stand the heat of it.

            “I think you need to get some sleep,” Jay said cautiously, reaching out for her.

            She only smacked his hands away, infuriated that neither of them had felt the heat radiating from the jewel. _What is wrong with them? Why would they say they couldn’t feel it when it’s hot enough to do damage?_

            “Evie,” Carlos spoke quietly, coming to sit on the bed beside her. “What’s going on with you?”

            Evie searched Carlos’ eyes desperately, wishing someone would let her know she wasn’t insane. First, her mother had told her that it was only a necklace, that it didn’t feel like anything, and now, Jay and Carlos had said the same thing in different words. That’s when it hit her. _What’s wrong with_ me _?_ There wasn’t anything wrong with the boys because they couldn’t feel the heat of the necklace, there was something wrong with _her_ because she could.

            “I’ll see you guys tomorrow, okay?” Evie stood from her spot and collected her things, heading out the door quickly.

            Carlos had followed after her, grabbing her arm to stop her from leaving him behind. “Evie, tell me what’s wrong.”

            “It’s nothing,” Evie dismissed, subtly shaking his hand from her arm. “Jay’s right, I probably just need more sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

            And that time, when she moved away from the boy, he didn’t follow after her, but she could feel his worried gaze piercing her back until she was out of sight.

 

**_(Mal)_ **

Heart pounding erratically against her ribcage, Mal slid around the trunk of the tree slowly, glancing at the open field to find that the girl had turned back around and was heading toward the large building once again. _Hell, that was too close_. She slipped out from hiding and followed the girl until she disappeared inside the building, leaving her to merely guess where she was going to be after that. Stopping at the doors she huffed, looking around in attempt to figure out what she was going to do next. _Well, I can’t go inside and follow her to the specific room, I’d easily get caught. But I also can’t protect her if I don’t know which room she’s in, and I have no way of figuring that out_. Mal cocked her eyebrow as she stared at the doors. _Or do I?_

            Deciding to get away from the doors to avoid running into anyone else – her patience already worn thin from the first girl she had spoken with – she moved around the side of the building where she glanced around the corner to make sure no one was near. Taking a deep, relaxing breath, Mal closed her eyes and concentrated on locating Evie. The calming warmth of magic flooded her body and created a small gust of wind around her as she pushed her mind through the walls of the building, her power creeping through the building after exiting her body. The image before her eyes shifted from complete darkness to the inside of the building – which she immediately felt repulsed by due to the brightness of it – and she breathed deeply as her power led her up the flight of stairs located to the right from the entrance, through several hallways, and to an open door. The strength of her magic had her standing in the doorway, her body made of mist as if she were a ghost. She could see Evie sitting on a bed with a boy who had too long of hair, and the young-looking boy she had spoken with earlier standing in front of a large screen acting as though someone were attacking him; it made her want to smack him herself, though she knew it was a terrible idea. Aware that she didn’t want to have to put this much effort into finding the girl every time she lost her inside a building she impulsively decided to form a link between them, making it so that it would only take her seconds to locate her in the future. Pushing herself further into the room she stepped directly into Evie’s body – trying hard not to think about how creepy it was – and locked in, using her magic to intertwine them in the sense that she’d be capable of feeling the girl’s presence wherever she was.

            Mal snapped back into her own body, eyes opening to take in the green of Auradon. _Why is everything so bright around here?_ She shook her arms out as if it would help her distaste for the brightness, pushing herself from the stone wall and moving further around the building. However, she stopped just before rounding the next corner, hushed voices raising the hairs on the back of her neck. She glanced cautiously around the edge of the building, locking her gaze on two grown men dressed wholly in black, multiple tools hanging from various areas of their body. _Well, what do we have here?_ Calling her magic back to attention she listened in on their conversation.

            “You said the girl would be in _that_ room by now.”

            “It _is_ her room, I figured she’d be in there after school.”

            “She could be anywhere, dumbass. She could even be out with friends for the rest of the night.”

            “Then we’ll wait here until she returns to her room, it’s not like we’re on a time-limit.”

            “Our boss may not have given us a specific time-limit, but you know we’ll be punished if we can’t get that necklace back to her by Monday.”

            _Well_ , Mal thought, one corner of her mouth curving while the other lay dormant; _then I guess your boss is going to be very disappointed in you_.

            At that thought, Mal stepped out from her cover, her magic spinning in the air around her as green smoke. With one flick of her wrist she sent a burst of green directly at one of the men, watching with silent satisfaction as it twirled around his chest and squeezed his body tight enough to snap every bone making up his ribcage; he fell to the ground instantly. _Leave no one alive, Agent. Or they’ll just come back with even more recruits to take you out before getting the artifact for themselves_. She didn’t need an order to make her feel better about killing people, after all, it was a major reason why she had survived the streets on her own. The other man whipped around frantically, his eyes full of terror when he met her gaze.

            “Interesting thing, that necklace, huh?” Mal questioned, beginning to walk toward him slowly, green still swirling around her. “Such a small object, yet everyone seems to want it.”

            “You’re just a little girl,” the man said almost accusatorily, though she could still tell he feared her already.

            “Thanks for noticing,” Mal replied, snapping his neck with one soft twist of her wrist. “You probably shouldn’t have.”

            Stepping up to where their bodies now lay her magic sunk back into her, leaving the air around her free of green smoke. She crouched down and reached into every pocket she could locate on their bodies, pulling two slips of paper from the first guy’s breast pocket. Unfolding them, she read the words written neatly on the first paper.

            _Recruit 25, Recruit 26,_

_I won’t give you much information on this mission because I can’t, but I will give you the gist of it._

_You are to travel to a place called The United States of Auradon. More specifically, to King Ben’s castle. There you will find the girl named Evie, whom I have enclosed a picture of._

_You are to locate her and dispose of her as silently and quickly as you can without drawing any attention to yourselves. Then you will take the necklace she wears and bring it to me._

_I can’t explain much about the necklace, except that it’s extremely valuable._

_Signed by, Minister Fredrick._

_Minister of The Artifact Collectors_.

            Mal snorted; _what a stupid name for an agency_. Realizing she had never seen Evie up close she slid the top paper behind the one underneath it in curiosity, her heart stopping in her chest as she let her eyes fall over the picture that had been discussed in the letter. She swallowed, finding that the saliva sliding down her throat felt thick against the walls of her throat, almost as if it were too thick to fit and instead got stuck, cutting off her air supply and leaving her the tiniest hole to breathe through.

            Her eyes surveyed the picture, falling to the girl’s eyes after studying the dark-blue of her hair and finding that they were a red-brown, a color that had her inspecting every inch she could before lowering her gaze. The girl’s nose was almost perfectly sculpted, and left her feeling as though she should be jealous of the girl, but she only felt something else toward the effortless beauty of the girl, something she couldn’t place. Her lips were next, and she found that they were full. The girl’s smile was so vibrant that Mal almost worried that if she saw it in real life she would be blinded by the radiance of it, teeth extremely straight and the whitest she had ever seen. She let her eyes roam over the girl’s prominent cheekbones and sharp jawline, over the girl’s entire face several more times.

            After a lengthy moment, Mal found the ability to tear her gaze from the photo, forcing herself to inhale deeply through her nose in attempt to feed necessary oxygen to her lungs. _What is happening to me?_ She had no idea why her body was acting the way it was to the picture of Evie, having never felt anything nearly as powerful as the sensation currently coursing through her body. It was almost as if the girl in the picture had come to life and crawled into her head, tugging and pushing the nerves until Mal’s body completely shut down. _It’s just a picture of a girl_. She didn’t understand what her brain was doing to her.

            Blowing out a heavy breath, disappointed in herself for an unknown reason, she shoved the pieces of paper back into the man’s pocket, only to hesitate in getting back to her feet. She hesitated for a moment longer, the fact that she couldn’t bring herself to stand and dispose of the bodies bothering her immensely. She hesitated on doing it until she reached back out and pulled the papers from the pocket again, carefully closing the tips of her fingers around the corner of the picture and detaching it from the letter. Reluctantly, knowing she should have left the picture where it had originally been, she pushed up to her feet, rotating her wrist twice and causing the bodies before her to disappear completely. She kicked each area they used to lay, making sure she hadn’t just turned them invisible – she had made that mistake before. After staring at the picture for another minute, willing herself to get rid of it as well, she slid it into the inside pocket of her leather jacket with a huff, highly confused as to why she hadn’t been capable of leaving it with the man’s body.

            Shoving the fact that she had kept the picture from her mind, Mal looked up at the window the men had been watching, knowing it didn’t belong to the room she had found Evie in earlier. _Maybe that room belonged to one of the boys_ , she remembered that there had been two beds; _or both of them_.

            Closing her eyes, she pushed her magic through the stone wall again, stretching it to locate Evie another time. This time, however, she didn’t have to move through the building. She could feel Evie’s location and immediately knew the girl was in the room just above her. When she absorbed her magic again her chest tightened painfully due to the release of connection between her and the girl, her body craving the connection to be rekindled. _I probably shouldn’t have linked us like that_. As she glanced up at the tree just outside Evie’s window she had to knead her sternum in attempt to ease the discomfort there; _not my best idea_. And she knew that the pain would only worsen each time she severed the connection after locating the girl. _Yup, definitely wasn’t my best idea._ She didn’t remember why she had decided putting in the extensive effort would be worse than creating a link between them, but she had, and now she was stuck with it because she had no clue how to break it. _Okay, To Do List: figure out how to break a linking spell_.

            Getting a good hold on a low branch she pulled herself up with difficulty, swinging her upper body over the branch and swinging her leg up until she was straddling the branch, holding onto it with a grip that whitened her fingers. Reaching up, she grabbed onto another branch and carefully got to her feet on the lower one, slowly making her way closer to the trunk so she could use it for support as she climbed higher in the tree. Dizzy from the effort of climbing and the thought that any of the branches could break at any moment, Mal heaved herself to an especially thick branch, blowing out a heavy, tired breath of relief when she looked across to the building and found herself staring straight into the girl’s room. _God, this is so creepy_.

            Maneuvering her body so that she was facing the window she looked around for anything that would give her a solid footing, but found nothing. She flicked her wrist quickly and allowed her magic to build a platform underneath her, giving her room to move around safely. With a final huff she sat down and stretched her legs out in front of her, flicking her wrist one last time to build a cover of leaves and branches that would keep Evie from seeing her if she looked out the window. Leaning her head back against the trunk of the tree she sighed. _After this, I’ve_ got _to find something better, and less creepy, to do with my life_.

            Glancing through the leaves and into the window she found that the glass allowed an extensive range of the room, leaving behind no doubt that she’d be able to effectively monitor the girl whenever she was inside. Noting that she couldn’t see the girl at the moment didn’t worry her, their newly formed connection letting her know that the girl was in the ensuite bathroom – which she desperately hoped she’d never need to monitor considering it would only increase the already disturbing twist to her mission. A pestering nag playing in the front of her mind had her reaching back into her jacket to pull out the picture hidden inside, recreating the irritating itch that had gnawed on her stomach minutes before. She allowed herself to study the picture again, the act of ignoring the reasoning behind why she felt the need to coming easily to her, patiently waiting – and subconsciously anticipating – for the real girl to come into her view.


	5. Chapter 5

**_(Evie)_ **

Evie woke with a vivid image of the nightmare that had twisted itself around her subconscious, her hand reaching up for her fingers to close around the crowned heart resting on the mattress by her heaving chest, the chain still around her neck. _It was all in my head_. Except, her necklace was hot against her skin, and quick pulses originated in the heart, traveling through her fingers and up through her arm; another warning. More specifically, another warning that someone was watching her.

            She looked around; there was no one in her room.

            With a heavy sigh she dropped her body back onto the mattress, reaching up to push the stray hair from her face in annoyance. _What are you playing at, huh?_ She felt insane for talking to a necklace, of all things, but she had nearly reached a point where she couldn’t take it anymore. It was shown to her with perfect clarity that the necklace was doing something to her, making her obsessively paranoid, but she couldn’t think of anything that might help her explain why everything was happening, why the necklace reacted so excessively to her emotions. _It clearly reacts to nothing, as well._ She groaned as she felt a sharp pulse against her chest.

            “There’s nobody here!”

            She came close to tearing the chain from her neck and throwing it out the window, but once again, guilt stopped her, so she settled for a vivid image of her doing so. As she shut her eyes in attempt to get some more sleep she found herself wishing that the unexplainable feeling she had felt the night before would wash back over her. The calming feeling had returned to her another time when she had returned to her room, curling through her body to wipe away every ounce of fear she ever felt. And she still had no idea what had caused her to relax so easily either of the times it had happened, but she found herself yearning for whatever it was, craving the feeling.

            After what felt like multiple hours of lying there with a fogged over mind and attempting to find sleep, Evie gave up. With a disappointed sigh she got to her feet tiredly, rummaging through her dresser and carefully deciding on an outfit for the day, remembering only now that there was a weekend game for tourney. _Well_ , she thought as she headed for the personal bathroom in her room; _at least I know what my plans are, now_.

            Finished with her shower and hair, Evie exited the bathroom and checked the time; _9AM. The game shouldn’t start until 11AM_. Not knowing how to use her time she moved over to the large windows almost parallel to her bed, drawing the curtain open in order to see the early morning sky. Looking passed the tree she studied the fields of grass that spread until they turned into trees.

            _You know you need to get rid of it_.

            Her stomach clenched.

            _But it’s a family heirloom, I can’t just throw it away_.

            It was inconsiderate.

            _It’s obviously causing you issues, distracting you from important things_.

            But that was logical.

            It was like two separate versions of herself were arguing inside the resulting version, the internal debate only managing to irritate her stressors. _Maybe I should take it off, but keep it in my drawer, or somewhere like that_. It sounded simple, but the guilt continued to gnaw on her heart. _I would be disrespecting my own family, still_. No matter what she couldn’t seem to beat herself, never finding a solution she agreed whole-heartedly with. She didn’t understand how her mother had been able to wear it for so long. _Nonsense, it’s nothing more than a cherished necklace_ , Evie remembered; _unless she didn’t feel anything, and I’m just losing my mind_. She settled on that. _I am slowly, but surely, losing my mind_. But then she wondered what could have triggered the hallucinations that urged her to feel reactions inside the glass jewel. Something new about her life, or in her life, would have had to cause all of it.

            Nothing seemed to make even the slightest bit of sense.

            Within less than a second, Evie felt her necklace give a sudden jolt on her neck in warning just before something moved in the tree just outside her window and stole her attention. Quickly, she shifted her attention to the branches extending toward her window, her entire body stiffening with fearful tension as she studied the tree, straining her eyes to see through the excessive amount of greenish-brown. Nothing. She waited for the leaves to shift again, but the only thing causing them to rustle was the light wind. Still, she couldn’t stop her heart from pounding viciously into her ribcage, the idea that it was more than just the wind originating from the glass heart throbbing in time with her own.

            A knock on the door startled her, tearing her attention from the tree outside. She glanced over at the wooden door, wondering why she feared who was on the other side. _If it was someone who wanted to hurt me they wouldn’t have knocked_. There were no locks on the doors – _which is completely unsafe_ – so anyone could come in at any given time.

            “Come in!” Evie called.

            Once the door opened to reveal Carlos a smile spread across her face as she realized how ridiculous she was being.

            “Good morning, Carlos,” Evie greeted, smiling warmly at the young boy before glancing behind him. “Where’s Jay?”

            “He’s getting Audrey, I believe,” Carlos answered, shutting the door carefully behind him. “You ready for the game?”

            She didn’t like hearing Audrey’s name, but she ignored her dislike for the girl. “Yeah, are you?”

            “Not really,” Carlos laughed lightly, playing with the fabric left on the table from her last project. “But the game’s fun, at least.”

            “You’re worried you guys are going to lose again,” Evie stated more than asked.

            “Yeah, we lost Ben, and Jay’s been playing worse since he started dating Audrey, and they were our best shooters,” Carlos explained, and Evie understood his take on the topic.

            “Just play the best you can, so you don’t feel as though it’s your fault,” Evie spoke softly. “Though it doesn’t matter much whether you win or lose, as long as you’re enjoying playing.”

            “I know,” Carlos nodded, offering her a grateful smile as his fingers continued toying with the blue fabric. “I feel like I’m the only one who enjoys it no matter the outcome, it just gets kind of tiring.”

            “Maybe you should show them how to perceive losing differently,” Evie suggested, hoping to encourage the timid boy to speak up to more than just her and Jay. “Jay might help you.”

            Carlos chuckled. “Yeah, once he finally realizes that he’s got Audrey’s claws buried deep in his skin and gets rid of them.”

            Evie couldn’t suppress the laugh that bubbled up from her stomach due to Carlos’ reply. “ _If_ he realizes it.”

            “Which he probably won’t,” Carlos concluded, mouth curved into an amused smile. “Anyway, you ready to head down to get some breakfast before the game?”

            Evie nodded, taking a small step toward the boy. However, before she could get too far her necklace pulsed against her chest once again, forcing her to turn back around and stare at the tree, waiting for something to reveal itself, though she knew it was ridiculous. She could feel Carlos’ body heat radiating onto her body before he spoke.

            “What are you looking at?”

            “Nothing,” Evie shook her head, tearing her gaze away from the tree by reconnecting the curtains in the middle. “Probably just a bird.”

            She said it because it was what she desperately hoped, not because it was what she believed.

 

**_(Mal)_ **

As she lurked in the woods lining the school, Mal found herself struggling to remain awake due to boredom from watching the few students roaming the campus and Evie eating breakfast. It only reminded her that she needed food as well. A yawn forced its way through her body as she locked her gaze on the distant figure of Evie, wondering how she hadn’t noticed the dark blue of the girl’s hair without the aid of the picture. _Why are you still dwelling on small characteristics?_ Chewing on the inside of her lip in annoyance she leaned her head against the trunk she sat by; _if my present life is going to be this boring, I might as well allow myself to judge Auradon’s residents_. Though, no matter how much she knew it was what she was doing with the majority of the residents, a small part buried deep inside her whispered that it was different with the girl.

            The second she saw Evie get to her feet she scrambled to her own quickly, ready to do _anything_ else. _Could this mission be any more boring?_ She kept a close eye on the girl, watching as she, the irritating girl, and the young boy headed toward the sports field, leaving behind the other two. Turning quickly to follow after them, Mal found herself colliding with a tree immediately. She grumbled; _fucking tree_. Glancing around, she realized that the tree-line wouldn’t lead her to the area in which Evie was headed, and she stood for a moment in internal debate, eventually deciding that – though Head had explicitly told her to stay in the shadows – she would quickly die inside from the boredom. And so she stepped out of the cover of the trees, moving toward the sports field while keeping an eye on Evie.

            And it seemed as though Evie was the greatest distraction, leading her first into a tree, and now, a person.

            “I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you there,” a deep, soft voice apologized, one she could tell belonged to a boy.

            “Clearly,” Mal scoffed, brushing off her jacket from where she had touched the stranger. “Maybe next time you should actually _watch_ where you’re walking.”

            She knew she had been the one not paying attention to where she was headed, but she also knew it couldn’t have only been her fault. The unknown boy had to have been distracted as well in order for them to have run into each other. Surprisingly, to her, the boy chuckled deeply, which she found irritating.

            “Yes, I’ll admit I was distracted,” the boy spoke again. “Again, my apologies for running you down.”

            Mal’s eyebrows furrowed as she looked up to finally take in the stranger’s appearance, finding that he had messy bronze hair, a long nose, and a soft smile on his face, his eyes squinted in the sun’s glare. Everything about him got on her nerves. “You didn’t ‘ _run me down_ ’; I’m obviously still standing. So why don’t you tuck away your ego in that fancy blazer of yours and move along.”

            “Excuse you, I’ll have you know you’re…”

            “Father, it’s okay,” the boy interrupted, the corners of his mouth curled into a smile.

            Her eyes flickered to the older man who had spoken up, voice raised in anger, eying him with furrowed eyebrows and noting that age creased his cheeks, his eyes protected with glasses. _That’s too bad, I won’t be able to easily blow them out_. Chewing on the inside of her cheek she returned her attention to the tall, bronze-haired boy who still smiled down at her. She wanted to punch him in that long nose of his.

            “I haven’t seen you around before,” the boy spoke up again, lacing his fingers together in front of him. “I’m Ben.”

            Mal paused at that, the name sounding familiar to her, though she couldn’t place it. “As much as I _really_ wanted to know your name,” she started sarcastically, glancing around the boy to locate Evie; she was still in sight. “I have better places to be, man, so if you would kindly just get out of my way so I could get there and be relieved from your unwanted presence.”

            Ben chuckled at that, but the man behind him seemed to reach his limit. “That’s it, Ben. If you won’t deal with this girl correctly, I will.”

            Mal arched her eyebrow to silently challenge the man, knowing she could take him down easily, however, it wasn’t the aged man that came for her; it was two others that seemed to come from nowhere. Before she could react her arms were restrained by her sides with a grip that dug into her skin through the leather of her jacket.

            “You will be taught how to treat the King of Auradon,” the aged man said, eyes glowing with rage. “Even if I have to teach you myself.”

            _The King of…? Oh, that’s where I’ve heard the name_. Keeping her eyes locked with the man’s she sent a flow of magic through her, and almost immediately the two men let go of her with sharp cries, her magic coming through her as electric shocks. She saw the recognition in the man’s eyes just as more hands grabbed her, and she readied herself to shock them with higher intensity; that is, until she caught a glimpse of the area further behind the King and the man. The entire tourney field was watching them. _You are to keep from the Auradon resident’s suspicion and curiosity_. She inhaled deeply; _way to go, Mal. You’ve fucked that one up_. She didn’t have to study the audience closely to know that they were all suspicious of her behavior, and curious as to what was being said.

            With all the self-control she could muster she quit fighting and allowed the men to yank her in the direction of the castle, casting one last glance over her shoulder to check on Evie, hoping desperately that no one decided to strike the girl when she was being interrogated. Despite the distance between them, she could feel that their gazes had met, and although she knew that the blue-haired girl couldn’t read her mind, she addressed her thoughts to her. _Stay safe, girl. I’ll be back as soon as I can_.

 

**_(Evie)_ **

After speaking with Ben and figuring out that he would be watching the game, Evie turned in search of Carlos with a wide smile on her face, managing to catch a brief glance of the boy just before he stepped into the team’s building. She couldn’t get Carlos’ earlier words out of her mind about the game losing his interest since the King had left the team, and she also couldn’t stop herself from searching for a way to get the boy to hold onto that interest no matter what. And though she knew it was most likely a ridiculous thought – as if she hadn’t been having an excessive amount of those recently – she couldn’t help but hope that the boy would be capable of enjoying the game more after realizing that Ben was present this time.

            Beginning to wonder how long it was going to take Jay and Audrey to show up she shifted her attention back in the direction of the outdoor cafeteria, feeling a small amount of relief when she found the boy walking toward the team building; she couldn’t say she felt the same for seeing Audrey. _She hasn’t said anything to me since the last game_. And even though she knew it probably wasn’t going to last, she still hoped that it would.

            However, just as she was dreading Audrey coming up to take the place beside her a sudden commotion silenced the entire field, stealing everyone’s attention.

            Evie turned her head in the direction of the shouting voice, finding Ben calming his father down with a small gesture and amused smile before turning back to the girl in front of him. A girl Evie had never seen before. She couldn’t see too clearly with her distance, but she could make out the girl’s purple hair cropped above her shoulders and the extensive amount of purple and green dying her outfit – which Evie noted wasn’t much different from her own outfit, dominated only by purple instead of blue. Her curiosity getting the best of her she trained her eyes to the girl, only to find that she was now staring Beast directly in the eyes. Seconds later, the men holding the girl jumped back as if they had been burned, causing Evie’s eyebrows to knit together in curiosity. _The girl didn’t even move; how could she have hurt them?_

            She felt someone come up next to her, but she ignored their presence, keeping her eyes glued to the scene unfolding before her, not being able to trample her curiosity for the mysterious girl. _How stupid do you have to be to fight against the King and his father?_ She thought, shaking her head at the girl’s behavior. She felt it was idiotic for anyone to think they could disrespect the royalty in Auradon, especially the King of all Auradon. _This girl is arrogant_. Still, she kept her gaze locked on the girl, following the movement as Ben’s guards led her away from the tourney field, wondering who she was and where she had come from.

            Her attention was stolen from the girl when her necklace pulsed in warning against her chest; _she’s a stranger. You don’t know her, and she definitely doesn’t attend this school_. She’s _one of the people you should avoid._ She lifted her gaze to lock on the mysterious girl she had never seen before, her mind twisting rapidly at that thought. She had terrified herself. _Anyone who is stupid enough to get taken in by the guards, I should stay away from_. She didn’t want trouble, and someone like that girl would definitely lead her into the depths of it. However, the quietest voice inside her brain told her she remained intrigued by the girl, told her she wanted to know why someone would behave that way toward the King. But that didn’t matter to her, she had always been professional at holding back her curiosity if it meant keeping herself, or her friends, from danger.

            However, when her muscles tensed and the nerves along her spine ignited with the knowledge that the girl’s gaze had skimmed across hers she knew she wouldn’t be able to stay away. For some unknown reason that she would probably never learn, she wanted to know about the girl.

            “What’s the matter?” The person who had stepped up beside her spoke up, and she immediately knew it was Audrey. “Thinking about getting in trouble yourself just to get alone with Ben? We both know it’s the only way you’ll get that way.”

            “Only ignorant people would believe she’s going to be alone with him right now,” Evie answered calmly, tearing her gaze from the mystery girl and instead bringing it to the field where people were, more likely than not, discussing the recent event. “There’ll be Beast and both of their guards.”

            She could tell Audrey was clearly picking from scraps, nothing truly against Evie presenting itself to the girl. It made it easier to not care about what the girl was saying. As Audrey continued trying to get a rise from her, Evie tuned out every word the girl spoke, and she could tell it was quickly turning the tables, getting a rise from the short girl instead. She ignored that, too, her mind still wound around the mysterious girl that had fought against Ben and his father. And no matter how hard she tried to focus on something else – her necklace even – her mind just continued straying back to the recent event, making her curious as to what would happen once the group of guards brought her into the castle.


	6. Chapter 6

**_(Mal)_ **

Mal let it show how furious she was through disobedience as the King’s guards forced her into a chair, keeping her gaze locked on the aged man with an icy glare, completely ignoring the burly guards as they stationed themselves on either end of the chair. _It doesn’t surprise me that the royal family can’t take any potential ego-deflation, but this is ridiculous_ , she noted, chewing on the inside of her cheek.

            “My son may only be seventeen,” the aged man spoke, taking a seat in front of her on the opposite side of the table; she didn’t fail to notice it was due to the magic she had already proven she had. “But he is the King, and you will show him the respect he deserves.”

            “Good, it’s settled then, I will show him none because by _my_ standards he hasn’t earned any respect,” Mal replied coolly, her strong gaze never faltering. “I don’t owe him anything.”

            “He is your King, you owe him everything,” the man argued, and it amused her to see just how much he struggled to keep level-headed.

            Mal snorted. “He’s _not_ my King.”

            “He is King to everyone living in Auradon.”

            “Then it’s a damn good thing I don’t live here.”

            Silence fell over them, but neither of them broke their eye-contact. The man ended up breaking it first, shifting his gaze down across the table as if he were calmly disappointed; though she knew he was the exact opposite. His exterior told a different story than the one Mal could read in his posture.

            He rephrased it. “He is King to everyone presently within Auradon’s walls.”

            “I don’t abide by inanimate objects,” Mal stated, finding amusement in angering the man. _Nothing can close me in if I don’t want it to_ , she thought, referencing her ability. “I’m not going to follow any ‘within walls’ rules, so you might as well just let me go.”

            “You _will_ obey the rules set in place, and you _will_ show King Ben the proper respect expected of Auradon residents.”

            “Oh, _will_ I?” Mal arched her eyebrow, an amused smirk tugging at one corner of her mouth.

            “Yes, you will, or I will be forced to make you,” the aged man tried to threaten, little did he know, threatening was what set her off.

            “Then get off that unrightfully royal ass of yours and _try_.”

            The man stood quickly from his seat in an intimidation attempt and slammed his hands against the surface of the table angrily.

            Mal didn’t flinch.

            And that’s when another presence in the room made itself know. “Please, father, calm down.”

            It was the boy again; _King Ben_ , she scowled. She had no idea why he seemed to be defending her against his father, but she disliked it, once again wanting to connect her fist to his nose. _A compassionate King, whoopty-freaking-do_.

            “Calm down?” The man was outraged. “This girl hasn’t shown an ounce of respect to our family name.”

            “She’s not from here,” Ben shrugged, shifting his attention from his father to her. “Are you?”

            That irritating smile was still present on his face as he studied her briefly, waiting for a response. She narrowed her eyes at the boy, setting a deep scowl into her mouth.

            “No, but I wouldn’t respect you if I was.”

            The aged man didn’t seem to like that answer, but his son merely chuckled. _What is wrong with this boy?_ She almost wished he would throw her in a dungeon instead – _at least, I think castles have dungeons_ – figuring it would be better than having to deal with his constant, creepy smile.

            “Where do you come from?” Ben asked, stepping up just in front of her and leaning his lower body back against the table.

            “You don’t get to know,” Mal shot back without missing half a beat.

            His smile only widened.

            “Ben, you need to…” But he never got to finish.

            “How old are you?” The boy spoke over his father, never taking his eyes off her.

            Mal chewed on her cheek in debate. “Seventeen.”

            “Oh, so you attend Auradon Prep?” Ben questioned curiously.

            “No,” Mal laughed, scoffing slightly as well. “Why would I?”

            “Every underage citizen is required to attend Auradon Prep,” Ben explained, and Mal felt her stomach drop, knowing what was coming next. “Come on, let’s get you enrolled.”

            “What? No,” Mal stayed where she was, shocking the guards again when they tried to force her to her feet. “I’m not attending any prissy school.”

            Ben’s father had his objections as well, only different. “Son! This girl has consistently disrespected our royal line, she should be punished, not given the chance to attend our school.”

            But Ben only replied to her. “Prissy? Is that what you think of us?”

            “Oh, I think _many_ things about you lot,” Mal replied, fingers gripping the arms of the chair tight enough to remove the color from them.

            She thought of Evie, trying to ignore the fact that she didn’t think that way about the girl. _You don’t even know her, Mal_ , she told herself, scoffing at her interest in the blue-haired girl.

            “I think you’ll change your mind once you settle in,” Ben urged, gesturing for her to get to her feet. “Unless, you _want_ to be dealt with by my father.”

            _This prick knows just where to hit to get his way_. Chewing on the inside of her cheek angrily, she got to her feet and blew out a heavy breath as she over-dramatically – and disrespectfully, one might add – bowed to the boy. “After you, then, _Your Majesty_.”

            Once again, she got two completely different reactions from Ben and Ben’s father. And, once again, Ben silenced his father’s disapproval by leaving the room. Mal got the que and followed the boy out, glancing over her shoulder to smirk in triumph at the aged man; _that’s right, you’ve lost this battle, old man_. Though she didn’t particularly think she had won either. Ben had. _Like I’m sure he’s used to_.

            That would change soon if Mal had anything to say about it.

            “So, you’re not used to having a high ruler, are you?”

            _Ugh. He’s trying to keep up the friendly conversation thing. Can I please just break his nose?_ The more logical part of her denied her own request.

            “They’re pointless,” Mal responded dully, following behind the boy a few feet.

            Not for long, however, because the messy-haired boy noticed their distance as he glanced over his shoulder, and he slowed to a stop until she was walking beside him. She stopped as well, looking up at him with a silent question in her slightly widened eyes; a silent challenge. He cleared his throat and continued to make his way to the stone building she knew to be the school.

            “And what makes you say that?” Ben questioned, once again, chuckling at her answer.

            She really wished he’d stop laughing as if they were friends. _Okay, so maybe it’s okay for him to laugh, but at everything I say? Really? Get over it, buddy. I’m not your friend._

            “Oh, let’s see, mainly… everything,” Mal drew out the fourth word dramatically, clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth for added affect. “Kings and Queens tend to ruin everything, you know, mess up the entire area they rule over.”

            Ben pushed open a door, holding it for her. “You don’t think highly of me, do you?”

            “What gave you that idea?” Mal asked sarcastically, brushing passed the boy while knocking her shoulder into him.

            He laughed again, the action causing his eyes to thin. “Well, anyway, this is Auradon Prep High School,” Ben started, following closely behind Mal; which she didn’t like. “The Fairy Godmother’s room is right up here, and after we’ve got you signed up for classes, I shall escort you to the dorm you will be staying in. There’s currently a dorm with an open slot, so you will be sharing with someone, I hope you’ll be alright with that.”

            “Yeah, you better _hope_ ,” Mal rolled her eyes, knowing extremely well that she wouldn’t be able to get along with anyone that attended this school. “It might be an empty hope, though.”

            Ben politely gestured her into a room. “I have another hunch.”

            “That I don’t want to hear,” Mal stated, blowing out a heavy breath as she entered the room reluctantly. “But I have a feeling you’ll tell me anyway.”

            The boy only laughed again. “My new hunch is that you’re not much of a people person.”

            “Wow, you really strayed far from the mark on that one,” Mal let out a laugh, trying to cover up the fact that it was actually real; she couldn’t help but laugh at that one, though. “You must have gotten your facts mixed up, or something, you couldn’t possibly be talking about me. Me? Not a people person? That’s _insanity_ ,” of course, she said everything sarcastically.

            Ben stared at her in wonder for a moment, an amused smile plastered on his face as he studied her. He looked up at someone as they approached. “Fairy Godmother! This is Mal. Mal, this is Fairy Godmother, she will be helping you figure out your classes.”

            “Helping? Or forcing?” Mal questioned, arching her eyebrow as she ran her eyes over the woman that had appeared before her; she already didn’t like her.

            “Helping,” Fairy Godmother answered, her voice high and bubbly, making Mal internally cringe. “Forcing isn’t practiced here in Auradon Prep.”

            “Tell that to the King,” Mal breathed out quietly, tucking her hands in the back pockets of her leather pants.

            The woman laughed awkwardly, as though she was attempting to buy time for Ben to take her from the room. “Well, what age are you, dear?”

            “Seventeen,” Mal answered disinterestedly.

            “Birthday?”

            “That’s unimportant,” Mal deadpanned.

            The woman awkwardly laughed another time. “No, it isn’t. See, we need to know the cut-off date in order to place you.”

            “July,” Mal huffed, figuring it’d be easier to just go along with whatever the woman wanted, so she’d be out of there faster. “That’s all you’re getting.”

            “That’s all I need to know in order to decide you’d be a senior,” Fairy Godmother said, smiling over at Ben with widened eyes, a question set in them; _goodness, where did you find this girl?_

            _You have no idea, woman_.

            Mal stood there with the inside of her cheek clamped between her teeth and her hands stuffed in her back pockets, impatiently waiting as Fairy Godmother flipped slowly through the pages of a strangely structured book, the print on the papers making it clear that it wasn’t a story-book. _Must contain all the classes_ , she sighed over-dramatically; _classes I won’t be attending_. Though – unusually – it wasn’t because she wanted to be defiant. It was because she would be attending all of Evie’s classes. _That sounds so incredibly creepy_. She already couldn’t wait to get back to her normal lifestyle.

            “Okay, so we don’t have too many open classes for new enrollment, meaning you’ll just have to settle for whatever is available,” Fairy Godmother spoke up after minutes of near-silence, straightening up to look over at her.

            Mal sighed, _somehow I already knew I’d have to do this_. She turned to Ben, giving him a faux-smile. “Can you please give us a minute, _King_ Ben,” she still couldn’t find the ability to speak the title seriously.

            Smiling brightly, Ben nodded his head, his hands still clasped against his lower abdomen. “Of course, I’ll just step out for a brief moment. If there’s any trouble, you know where to find me.”

            Mal returned the smile for as long as it took the boy to leave, then she shifted her attention back to the woman who remained inside the large room with her, noting that Fairy Godmother looked terrified to be left alone with the girl she had just met. _Maybe she saw the magic I used on the guards_. She shrugged it off and slowly advanced on the woman, well aware that the longer she took the more intimidated the woman became.

            “So, about those classes, ma’am,” Mal began, stopping when she was inches away from the short woman. “I’m going to need you to _relook_ at those available classes.”

            “I’m sorry, dear, but we only have so many seats…”

            “You’re not hearing me correctly,” Mal interrupted, locking the woman’s gaze into her own as magic warmed her entire body and stretched toward Fairy Godmother. “You _are_ going to recheck those available classes, and you _will_ give me the exact same schedule as that girl named Evie. I don’t know if she has a last name, but you know the one I’m talking about, I do believe.”

            She was hyper aware that being in the same classes as Evie was risky for the girl figuring out she existed, but after the two of them had brushed gazes she knew that ship had sailed; Evie knew she existed. She just didn’t know anything about her, or who she was, and it would stay that way whether she had classes with the girl or not. If she was going to be forced to attend classes she figured it’d be best if she could follow Evie around the school and keep a closer eye on her throughout the day. _Again, creepy as fuck_. She tried to shake the thought from her mind, leaving it at; _I’ll just stick to the back, make sure I’m seated directly behind her, and hope she never looks back_.

            After only a brief moment of hesitated resistance, Fairy Godmother nodded before turning around and plucking a pen from the holder to begin inking words into the paper. Mal smiled in triumph as she watched the woman legibly scrawl course names in the order she would be forced to attend. _Gross, advanced chemistry_. _I don’t even know what that means, but it sounds terrible._ She read over the woman’s shoulder as she finished writing down all the classes; _what kind of classes is this girl taking? There’s definitely something very wrong with her_.

            Fairy Godmother straightened back up, smiling brightly as she held the piece of paper out in front of her. “Here you are, my dear. I hope you enjoy your short time at Auradon Prep. Go Fighting Knights!”

            “Yeah,” Mal drawled, snatching the paper from her hand. “No. There will be _zero_ school spirit from me, you can count on that.”

            Fairy Godmother looked as though she were about to protest against what she had said, but instead she didn’t get the time to do so before Mal locked her gaze into her own again.

            “Shut up,” Mal smiled forcibly, speaking with as friendly of a tone as she knew how to.

            And she wasn’t surprised when the woman reclosed her mouth as if her lips had been suddenly glued together. With a small sigh of relief from escaping the lecture about school spirit, Mal turned away from the woman and pushed through the doors where she knew she would find Ben. She didn’t like him, but at least he was more tolerable than Fairy Godmother; and everybody was more tolerable than that first girl she had met, though she didn’t remember the girl’s name anymore.

            “Everything good?” Ben asked once he saw her, his smile still perfectly in place.

            “Why wouldn’t it be?” Mal smiled innocently up at the boy, crumpling the paper in her hand and shoving it in the front pocket of her leather jacket. “Now what, pretty boy?”

            Ben smiled even more at that, his gaze averting to the floor just in front of his own feet as he chuckled nervously. “Well, now I’m going to escort you to your dorm to meet your roommate.”

            “Ugh, right,” Mal groaned externally, rolling her eyes at the reminder. “My roommate.”

            “I’m sure you’ll change your mind once you meet her,” Ben laughed amusedly, beginning the descent down the stairs they had come up earlier. “She’s really sweet, you’ll love her.”

            “I don’t love anyone, buddy,” Mal replied with a breath as they reached the doors that led outside; Ben holding them open for her, to which she merely rolled her eyes at as she passed by him. “But I guess I’ll keep my mind open.”

            _Well, that was the biggest lie I’ve ever told in my life,_ Mal thought, internally laughing at her own words. _Oh, wait…_ she paused for a brief moment; _I told Head he was good at what he did_. Once again, she laughed at her thoughts. She may not be good with people, but she sure knew how to work her way around them when necessary.

            “That’s the spirit!” Ben exclaimed, falling in step beside her after closing the school doors. “I think once you settle in you’ll find that you like it here.”

            “Oh, I doubt that,” Mal breathed out heavily, not caring if he heard her or not; _I will definitely never like it here_.

            It took Mal a while to realize that the path they were taking was familiar to her, and it took her even longer to figure out it was because they were headed to the same dorm she had slept in a tree outside of the night before. Evie’s dorm. _Is this the only dorm you have, big ‘ol mighty King?_ She figured most of the people were royal and pompous in some way, placing them in the many castles spread out over the land. _So who are the people who sleep in the dorms, then? The ‘still royal but not royal enough to own a fancy castle’ students?_ She shook her head at her own jokes, realizing she was having far too much fun making fun of everyone living in Auradon. She figured the building beside Evie’s dorm that looked identical to the familiar stone building was another dorm, more housing.

            “Have you ever attended a school before?” Ben questioned as he moved forward to open and hold the door for her; _would you stop that? It’s getting annoying._

            “Not legally,” Mal answered honestly, glancing over her shoulder to gauge his reaction; clearly he perceived it as a joke. “What’s funny about that? Shouldn’t you be threatening to take me in, or whatever it is you royals do here in Auradon.”

            “You weren’t serious, were you?” Ben asked, seeming slightly baffled. “Though, with what I’ve learned about you in the short time I’ve had the pleasure of knowing you, I honestly wouldn’t be surprised.”

            “Then why are you?” Mal questioned, wondering why the boy – being the King and all – wasn’t judging her for anything she told him.

            Ben shrugged, a light laugh escaping through his thin lips. “I just want to give you the benefit of the doubt, that’s all.”

            “Well, stop,” Mal growled lowly, her jaw clenched. “I don’t know what you’ve been raised to think, but it’s different with me. So. Stop.”

            Once again, Ben laughed awkwardly. “You know, sometimes you have to learn to get used to different customs when you move drastically.”

            Utterly tired of the boy’s attempts, Mal sighed heavily in relief when Ben held out his hand, gesturing to a door that she assumed was their destination. _Ugh, finally, I’m done with this major dork_. Without thanking Ben, or even showing the slightest bit of appreciation for him saving her from his father, Mal burst through the door obnoxiously, delighted to be rid of the irking King; however, instead of being grateful for the door she could put between them, she found herself immediately wishing to turn back around and slam the door with her outside of the room. In result, she did neither of the two options. Instead, she stood there dumbfounded, her eyes locked on a certain brown pair she had never wanted to – and secretly wished to – see up close.


	7. Chapter 7

**_(Mal)_ **

Despite the panic rampaging through her veins a particular warmth plummeted to the depths of Mal’s body, the connection she had formed relaxing her stomach and heart while decreasing the amount of tension in her nervous system; though it didn’t have much affect due to the intensity of her current panicked state. The connection was thrilled to have Evie so close to her, she, on the other hand, was not as ecstatic. _Think quickly, Mal. What the fuck are you going to do, now?_ She had no idea, and her body didn’t seem to receive a single one of her brain’s orders, leaving her standing just inside the doorway, feet nailed to the floor professionally and eyes widened in panic, glued to the blue-haired girl who had looked up on her obnoxious entrance.

            “Evie,” Ben said softly from somewhere behind her; but she couldn’t tell where because she couldn’t take her eyes off the girl he was addressing. “I’m sorry to show up unannounced and late, but we’ve gotten a new student at Auradon Prep, and yours is the only room not currently rooming a pair.”

            “Everything’s fine, Ben,” Evie bared her brilliantly white teeth, her smile – to Mal – seeming bright enough to blind her due to its radiance. “You’re welcome whenever.”

            Just then, Evie’s unique red-brown eyes fell on Mal again, briefly taking in her appearance before locking with the smaller girl’s bright green eyes. _Oh my fuck_. Mal inhaled sharply, stomach threatening to twist violently despite the calm from the connection between her and the girl. _That picture didn’t even do her looks justice_ ; which was miraculous with how beautiful Evie had been in the picture. She swallowed thickly under Evie’s light stare, the radiance of the girl’s smile making her shift uncomfortably; the first movement she had been able to do since entering the room.

            “Hi, my name’s Evie,” the beautiful girl introduced herself, her smile spreading even wider than before, making Mal want to flee from the room before she found herself sinking through the floor beneath her feet.

            _I would really appreciate it, you abnormally beautiful human being, if you would stop smiling at me like that_. It was really throwing off her tough reputation – well, at least it was her reputation in her own mind.

            Seeming to realize that she wasn’t about to introduce herself as well, Ben did it for her; his voice, once again, coming from somewhere behind Mal, somewhere she wasn’t ready to look because it didn’t house Evie. “This is Mal, she’s completely new to Auradon, though she never did say where she came from.”

            Mal watched in fear – and newfound curiosity – as Evie’s eyes widened for the smallest fraction of a second before returning to their normal shape, the intriguing glint previously present dulling the slightest bit. _What’s wrong, gorgeous? Terrified by the name?_ That thought returned to her a small portion of her bravado; only a small portion, though. As well, it returned some common sense; _why did I call her those two things? What is wrong with me?_ She almost couldn’t stop herself from narrowing her eyes at the girl before her with her next thought; _what are you doing to me_? Evie cleared her throat delicately, and Mal began wondering if everything the girl did was done in an elegant manner. _Such a graceful one_.

            “It’s great to meet you, Mal,” Evie’s smile returned, twisting Mal’s stomach into a relentless knot. “I hope you don’t mind the state of the room, it’s kind of a mess currently.”

            Mal arched her eyebrow, green eyes scanning the orderly room, finding nothing that screamed it was a mess. “Okay,” she drew out the word unsurely, her gaze seeming to bounce directly back to the girl as if she had missed prime staring time. “I’m...” she cleared her throat, “not sure exactly what you mean by ‘mess’. It looks obsessively clean to me.”

            Evie glanced around the room, and Mal took the advantage to trail her gaze along the girl’s sharp jawline. She only averted her gaze when the girl turned back toward her, her lips parting to speak; though she only found herself desperate to watch the way they moved. _What_ is _wrong with me?_ She nearly groaned in frustration.

            “It’s messy to me,” Evie laughed quietly, gaze dropping to the ground just before her own feet.

            Mal’s ears perked at the sound that had slipped from the girl’s lips, though giving the aura of being in embarrassment it floated through the room with elegance, just like everything else that left the girl’s mouth did. _How does she do that?_ She honestly didn’t know how this girl managed to radiate elegance but she found herself wishing that she didn’t seem so perfect. _Just what I needed for a roommate. A perfect princess_. At least, she figured Evie was a princess of some sort because, to her, everything about the girl screamed princess straight into her face; a warning – in her perspective – to stay away from her undoubtedly devious nature. However, she found herself internally sighing, not being able to locate anything devious about the girl. And she couldn’t bring herself to wish there was something off about the girl like there was with everyone else she had met so far, in fact, she couldn’t stop herself from wanting Evie to be different, someone she would be capable of getting along with.

            _No. Stop thinking like that, Mal!_ She scolded herself, quickly biting down harshly on the inside of her cheek; _stop thinking she’s different. Stop thinking you want to get to know her. It’s all empty wishes. You don’t want to get to know anyone, especially the girl you’ll have to steal from in the future_. Though ‘steal from’ was the most optimistic outlook on what she would have to do. And for that same unknown reason that made her falsely believe that Evie was different than the rest of Auradon’s residents, she felt her stomach twist nauseatingly at the thought of having to release the life from the girl’s body.

            And just like that, her heartbeat increased in panic again, her connection to the girl not even being capable of calming her down this time. Her mind went haywire at that moment, spouting off everything she had repeated multiple times over the past couple days as accusations; _you weren’t supposed to get anyone’s attention, let alone the target’s. You were supposed to stay away from Evie, to not allow her to know you existed. You were supposed to stick to the shadows_. In those terms, she had failed in every added aspect of the mission, however, she allowed herself to remember the changes she had made to the mission when she had made it her own; _I decided not to stay in the dark, and not to keep from everyone’s attention. I did, however, decide to keep the rule about not meeting Evie_. She chewed on the inside of her cheek nervously; _oops_. She pulled herself back into reality despite the acceleration of her heart, quickly realizing that she had never torn her eyes from the girl’s. _Way to seem creepy_. Mal huffed internally, stopping herself in her own thoughts; _wait, this is actually good. Maybe the creepier I seem, the more she’ll stay away from me_. But she refused the idea; _I’ll just act the way I normally do, then she’ll definitely not want to be around me. No one else does_.

            “Well, since it’s late I’m going to head back to my room, now,” Ben spoke up, drawing the attention toward him; though Mal kept her gaze on Evie, allowing herself to study the girl’s seemingly flawless features when she wasn’t paying any attention to her.

            “I bet you have multiple of those, don’t you,” Mal scoffed lightly, her distaste for the boy returning when she decreased the amount of attention she was putting on the girl in front of her, who – she could tell – didn’t much care for the way she had spoken to the boy; then again, who did. “You probably don’t even have to make your own bed. Let me guess, maids? Or maybe, your mother still does it for you, wouldn’t that just be _very_ kingly,” she said the last part sarcastically, enjoying the power that surged through her when she fired shots at the King, feeling as though it returned her usual bravado into her possession from the large amount she had lost while facing Evie.

            Not surprisingly, Ben laughed. “Actually, I’m not allowed to, though I’ve tried on multiple occasions. It gets tiring, if I’m being perfectly honest.”

            “I’m sure,” Mal nodded, making it clear that she didn’t believe a word he had said. “Have a good life, _King_.”

 

**_(Evie)_ **

If there was any word that described Evie at that moment it was stunned. She was completely and utterly stunned by the way her new roommate had just treated Ben right in front of her; though she knew she shouldn’t be as surprised as she was when recalling the girl’s behavior before the tourney game. _What is wrong with this girl?_ She thought, finding that she now wondered where she had come from. _Childhood always has a great deal to do with the way a person acts when they’re older_. Therefore, she figured something must have happened to the girl when she was younger that forced her into the rough behavior she was demonstrating at her present age.

            _What happened to you, Mal?_ She asked the question in her head as the door closed, encasing her and Mal in the room alone. _What’s your story? Who hurt you in the past? Why are you here, now, instead of where you’re from?_ Evie couldn’t stop the river of questions from flowing through her mind, each one taking a second to themselves as her main focus. Her thoughts made her feel invasive even though she hadn’t vocalized them to the girl, and she immediately started an internal debate on which question would seem the most casual.

            Suddenly, she felt a conflicting mix of feelings toward her new roommate because the second after she decided which question she could ask the girl without seeming too invasive, the flicker of fear she had felt when Ben had told her the girl’s name returned, intensifying to a greater peak than before. _Mal_. She hadn’t been able to remember the name of the girl Lonnie had told her about until that very moment, and that could only be for one reason; this was the girl that had been looking for her. _Has she come to hurt me? To take me away?_ Her panic flared when the girl’s eyebrows knit together in confusion as they locked gazes, but it quickly died down after she read the expression on the girl’s face. It was clear that this girl meant her zero harm. _Come on, Evie, be logical. If she meant you any harm she would have pounced as soon as Ben had left because it would be the most likely time that no one would disturb us. She’s not going to hurt me, she’s just a normal teenager starting at a new school, just like I did last year_.

            The two of them just stood where Ben had left them, Mal with her gaze surveying the room, Evie with her eyes surveying Mal; she just couldn’t help but use the moment she was allowed to better absorb the girl’s appearance, an appearance that intrigued her. She focused first on the features she hadn’t been able to make out when she had seen the girl from her spot on the bleachers, and one feature in particular stole her attention for a lingering moment.

            Her eyes.

            The girl’s eyes were a vibrant green that Evie had never witnessed in an eye color before, the strong, clear color drawing her in almost as if she were being pulled through the pupils to witness the girl’s entire world. She could see panic in them, fear, but about what she had no idea; she could see her heightened nerves, and she wondered why she was so nervous; and behind it all she could see a whole other world of pain, the sight causing her heart to clench tightly in her chest. Not being able to handle all the emotions running thick through the girl’s eyes she moved on. She took in the girl’s thin, nicely arched eyebrows and she found herself impressed, being able to tell that they weren’t made to be that way, they naturally were. Allowing her eyes to slide further down – only stopping a moment to revisit the girl’s stunning eyes – she studied the soft bridge that trailed down into a ski-jump nose, the tip dipping in before coming out to a small point. Next on her curiosity list was the girl’s plump lips, the top lip’s thickness normal while the bottom lip puffed out with a round plumpness that held a crease in the middle. She found herself wondering how soft they were until the girl’s green eyes fell on her, dragging her back into the reality of the situation, her cheeks heating at the thought of being caught. _Why was I wondering how soft her lips are? I just met her_ , she wondered; _well, she is strangely attractive_.

            “That bed is yours,” Evie gestured to the bed to her right, which – though completely unused – had clean sheets put on it every week; she didn’t like the way the bare bed looked. “I’ve put some clean sheets on it recently.”

            Mal arched her eyebrow, and Evie quickly got the feeling she was being judged for her actions. Her cheeks heated again, causing her to feel as though she should face away from the girl, but she forced herself to watch as she traveled over to the bed, looking as though she were scouting it for any traps or issues. _Like I would put a trap in an unused bed_. She suddenly felt embarrassed in the girl’s presence. _And even if I was going to, I would have had to know someone was coming in the first place_. She found herself wishing she had been given at least a hint that she would be receiving a roommate, then she could have cleaned the room and made it more presentable.

            The necklace pulsed slowly against her chest as if it were a dying heartbeat; struggling to hold on while a greater force stole its last bit of life. As Mal approached the bed she moved closer to where Evie stood, and the closer the girl got the less noticeable the pulse was and the more she felt relaxed, almost like she was in the presence of the one person she could trust the most. _But I’m not. How could she be the person I trust the most when I’ve known her for less than ten minutes?_ It was impossible, and from the earlier beat of her necklace she felt she should be wary of her new roommate; however, she couldn’t bring herself to feel anything toward her roommate beside overwhelming interest.

            “So,” Evie started, figuring it would be best to ease into the conversation given the fact that the girl hadn’t talked much outside of insulting Ben; _by the way, why did she do that?_ It was another question she wanted to ask. “How old are you?”

            Mal didn’t so much as glance at her. “Seventeen.”

            “Are you a junior?” Evie questioned curiously, nearly desperate to know more about the mysterious girl she had only noticed existed this morning. She wondered how long she had been in Auradon.

            “Nope,” was her answer, with a popping sound added onto the end.

            Evie huffed lightly, bringing her hands up to play nervously with the ends of her loosely-worn hair. _What’s a noninvasive question that should get her talking?_

            “Why did you come to Auradon?” Evie asked, hoping she wasn’t prying but, at the same time, wishing she could delve deeper. She added on with a light laugh. “You know, with wherever you’re from.”

            “It wasn’t my choice,” Mal responded, moving over to the window to peak out of it, still without even giving her a brief glance. “And nice try, but you’re not getting where I’m from out of me.”

            Evie nodded in understanding, _she’s sure being difficult, isn’t she?_ Once again – though her curiosity had recently increased – she wondered where Mal had grown up, a strong feeling that her hometown took up a large portion of the reason she acted the way she did shooting through her.

            “So, what classes are you taking?” Evie pushed on, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in her stomach.

            “Boring ones.”

            This time when she huffed in frustration Mal looked over her shoulder to briefly study her, and although the front layer of the girl’s mask showed no emotion Evie could see passed the outer mask and into the raw emotion on the girl’s face, revealing the curiosity she felt. _Why can I see through her so easily?_ It wasn’t like she was trying to see the way the girl was feeling, but her emotions were displayed to her with such vivid clarity that she couldn’t resist reading them, and she grew even more confused as to why she could do so every time the girl’s emotions changed and she could watch the shift as if they were her own.

            “Problem, Princess?” Mal questioned, thin eyebrow arching as the left side of her mouth quirked into a lazy smirk.

            Evie opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again as she swiftly debated whether or not she should take the nickname offensively; and she figured with the torn, ragged look the girl presented that she didn’t care much for princesses. So she decided to be split on it.

            “I would be more offended by your use of that title if I weren’t actually a princess,” Evie replied, now wondering what issue the girl had with princesses, and if she had the same issue with all royalty; _considering the way she treated Ben, I wouldn’t be surprised_.

            The right side of her mouth curled up to join the left in completing the girl’s smile, and although Evie saw that the girl tried to cover it up and make it seem faux she could tell that it was genuine; Mal liked her response, and it almost seemed as though she had used the title in search of clarification. _She thought I was a princess, but wanted clarification_. She didn’t know how she knew that, but she did. As she caught another glimpse of the girl’s smile something jumped excitedly in her stomach with the knowledge that she had stolen a smile from the girl. _I’m just as much of a thief as Jay_ , she stopped; _okay, maybe not, that was such a terrible joke_. She was glad she hadn’t said it out loud, but at the same time, she found herself wanting to coax more smiles from the girl, curious as to what her full-on smile looked like; she bet it was beautiful.

            “And no, by the way,” Evie continued, hoping the girl would talk more after they had shared a smile. “I don’t have a problem.”

            But Mal went back to giving her silent responses, only acknowledging what she had said with a small nod of her head before turning back around to look out the window again. She grasped for something that would require a verbal answer. _Why is she so quiet? Why won’t she talk to me? I’m going to be her roommate after all, she’s stuck with me_.

            “Did your parents come with you?”

            Even though it was slight, Evie saw the way Mal’s muscles tensed and noted how her posture stiffened, and she immediately started panicking internally, worried she had hit a sensitive subject. She waited for an answer, holding her breath.

            “I don’t have parents,” Mal deadpanned, her voice cold and lacking in every emotion outside of anger.

            Evie knew she had pushed too far, but she also knew that she wouldn’t have if the girl had been more open to conversation. She was highly frustrated with the way Mal was acting; frustrated with how she looked everywhere but at her unless it was only a brief glance; frustrated with the short, choppy answers she received; frustrated with the casual way Mal treated her as if she weren’t even there, weren’t even human. _What happened to the staring you were doing earlier, huh? What happened to the fear and wonder that glued your eyes on me?_ She had seen every emotion swirling through the girl’s glowing eyes when they had first made eye contact, and she had been able to tell with ease that Mal had been curious about her, that she had been just as intrigued as she was. What she couldn’t understand was why the girl was acting the way she was when it was obvious how much interest she had originally found in her. It frustrated her into the state of hopeless confusion.

 

**_(Mal)_ **

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be invasive. My mom isn’t here with me, either,” Evie spoke barely over a whisper.

            Mal could feel the girl’s gaze searing the area between her shoulder blades, she could tell she was staring at the dragons sewn into the material of her jacket, and she could _feel_ that she felt terrible for bringing up a sensitive subject – though nothing was sensitive for Mal. She could feel the confusion and frustration coursing through the girl’s body, the connection allowed her to do so. Before forming the connection between them she knew she would be able to feel the emotions bubbling inside the girl if she got close enough, and she found herself worrying that Evie could feel hers as well.

            “Then stop asking questions,” Mal shot back in panic, hoping her voice was cold enough to leave a bite. “I’ll see you later, I need to go grab something.”

            Knowing she had to get out of that room – and quickly – she moved away from the window and swiftly closed the distance between her and the door, forcing herself to keep her gaze from wandering to the beautiful girl holed up in the room with her. _You have to make her know you don’t want her attention_. But she did. _You have to get her to stop wanting to talk to you_. But _she_ wanted her to. It was all she had to keep her gaze from straying as she strode across the room, opening the door and leaving with it slamming behind her.

            Stopping just outside the door she could feel the broken feeling slamming into Evie’s chest exactly as it slammed into her own. _Fuck this connection_ , she thought, pushing passed the pain and moving out of its reach, letting the warm, relaxed feeling from being in Evie’s presence slip through her fingers and welcoming the frozen, sharp impale of the blade that severed her heart and created an almost unbearable pain that surged through her; and it only increased the further she got from the girl.

            She had no idea where she was going until she was hurling herself into the tree-line, her legs never ceasing movement until she was deep inside the forest where she collapsed, the pain from the brutally severed connection finally weakening her. It was worse than the last time, and she knew it was because the last time she was in the same room as Evie it had only been in her mist form; meaning she hadn’t actually been there. Now that she had been realistically in the same room as Evie, and since she had left the girl to be drowned in her sadness, the break in the connection had all but torn a piece of her heart out with it; and she knew it had felt the same for the girl. If she kept leaving the girl on that note the pain would only continue to get worse. She remembered having read somewhere that a magically created connection between two people could either make them feel alive, or drag them into a state close to death, and with the way she was going about it she was currently hazardously driving them both to the cliff’s edge. _I can’t stay here. I can’t. I need to leave. I can’t go through with this mission_.

            However, a severe pain shot through her chest and her stomach threatened to reintroduce the most recent food she had eaten when she thought about abandoning the mission. She wanted to, hell, she thought she _needed_ to in order to spare them the inevitable pain to come, but something was stopping her. A vivid image of the guys’ faces, those who had been standing outside of Evie’s window dressed from head to toe in black, burglary clothing; the guys who had been planning to murder Evie in cold-blood. The pain intensified and she cried out into the night air, the only sound beside her scream being the rustle of the leaves from the light wind. She repeated it again, _I can’t, I can’t_ , only this time, it meant the complete opposite; _I can’t leave her defenseless. She has no idea anyone’s even after her. I can’t leave her to be murdered by selfish, greedy agents_. Her stomach dropped as the truth ran her mind over like a semi-truck could her body; _like me. Agents like me. How am I any better?_ She shook her head, willing the pain to release its murderous hold on her. _I’m not going to kill her. That’s how I’m better. She’s going to remain alive in my hands_. But she couldn’t even fool herself with that reassuring statement; _but I was. I was planning on killing her. I’m not any better than them when it all comes down to it_.

            The pain, the thoughts, the nausea, it all decided everything for her.

            _I have to stay. I can’t just leave her for the wolves to feast on._ She could recall the first time she had thought about a teenage girl being the only capable one of activating the most powerful artifact, she could recall that she had thought Evie had to be extremely powerful in order to do so. But now she had met her, and everything, all her perspectives, had changed. Evie wasn’t powerful. She didn’t even know that the necklace held powerful magic inside it, and she definitely didn’t know that she had powerful magic flowing through her veins. She was oblivious, and vulnerable because of it. _I have to stay_ , Mal repeated to herself as the vicious grip began loosening from around her neck, slowly letting go of her entire body, one body part at a time. _I have to stay. If I don’t, Evie will be murdered before she even learns the truth about her life. Before she even learns the beauty of the magic desperately trying to ignite inside of her_. And Mal found herself wanting to be the one to reach that magic inside of her, to be the one to ignite the fire deep within Evie.

            Once the invisible grip released her completely she inhaled sharply, gasping for the air that had been stolen from her. She lifted her head and glanced over her shoulder in the direction she had come from, knowing she had to grab her bag from the tree and return to the room where the girl was. But she couldn’t do it in her current state. She needed to calm down and ease her body from the recently experienced pain. _This is going to be a whole hell of a lot harder than I thought_. She spat the thick saliva coating her throat onto the dirt a foot in front of her, forcing her legs under her. _I need a moment to think, to calm my mind_. And with that, a sudden flurry of green and purple smoke surrounded her entire body as she transformed into her other form, claws pushing from the ground and wings spreading as she flew into the night.


	8. Chapter 8

**_(Evie)_ **

A sudden blinding pain shot through Evie’s body, a sharp metal pole blazed with fire sinking through her chest and abruptly cutting the warmth she had grown to crave in a short period of time from her body, leaving only an overwhelming pain behind. A gasp slipped passed her newly parted lips as she gripped the edge of the table with her hands tightly, using it as leverage to keep herself standing. _What is happening to me?_ Her gaze slid down to the necklace that brightened every second with a red glow – a stark contrast against the dark blue of her shawl – figuring that it must be the causation. _What do you want from me_? She felt ridiculous and pathetic for accusing a necklace of a list of irritants, let alone talking to it as if it would respond to her and give her the answer she desperately needed to hear; _you’re insane, a necklace can’t do anything but look great_. However, no matter how many times she tried telling herself the answer she needed to hear she couldn’t seem to get herself to believe it.

            Taking a deep, controlled breath, she tried to focus on anything besides the pain currently scorching the inside of her body, but she only found tears forming in her eyes as she grew desperate for the unknown warmth to return. She had been basking in the relaxed feeling the second it had returned, fearing the moment when it would leave her again, however, this time it had lasted longer than it normally did, starting just before Ben and Mal had appeared. _And ending when…_ her head perked up to the door the purple-haired girl had slammed behind her as she left; _when Mal left_. She shook her head, realizing she was reaching for scraps while searching for the reason behind the feeling she craved every second. _It couldn’t be my roommate; she wasn’t near me the two other times I felt it_.

            As if reminding her that it was abnormal, the crowned heart began throbbing against her chest again, forcing her heartbeat to match its erratic rhythm. _What is it now?_ She asked tiredly, her heart leaping into her throat to threaten her air supply when its rhythm changed abruptly, a thought that felt almost forced accompanying the new beat. _The lunch conversation with Lonnie earlier this week._ She fought against herself to breathe, her heart racing in panic due to the fact that the thought had occurred in her mind in a voice that didn’t belong to her, or anyone she knew. It was like an unknown identity desperate for her to remember that conversation, and now that the thought had sparked in her mind she couldn’t focus on anything else. She searched her brain and easily recalled every small aspect about the conversation that day; she recalled that Lonnie had sat down beside her, completely ecstatic to tell her something; she remembered Lonnie telling her about meeting a girl with the coolest hair she had ever seen; and she remembered Lonnie telling her that the girl had said her name was Mal. _Mal. It has to be her_. Shaking her head, she attempted to find another possibility, only to find her mind completely empty. _No. I haven’t been to many places, for all I know Mal could be an extremely popular name here in Auradon_. But she was forced to stop when she remembered that Ben had stated that her roommate wasn’t from Auradon, in fact, she was from somewhere she wouldn’t tell anybody. _Still, it could be a popular name in general_. But the logical part of her brain set in and she found that she didn’t believe that possibility even in the slightest. _Okay, so maybe Mal isn’t a common name_ , she panicked, trying her best to find a reason that would keep her from having to avoid her new roommate; _but what’s the likelihood that two girls named Mal would be in Auradon at the same time? High, right?_ That only failed, as well, when her mind gave her the correct answer; _utterly unlikely, Evie_.

            Evie huffed in defeat, unable to give the girl an alibi. _My roommate is the girl that was reportedly searching for me_. Just like it should, a flicker of fear and panic flashed through her chest, but that was all it was; a flicker. As soon as the fear had taken hold of her body, crushing it with its murderous grip, a contrasting feeling crashed into her to battle the fear for the main slot; and it won. She still found herself incredibly intrigued by the girl, and though she didn’t understand why she was as fascinated as she was she couldn’t seem to stop the interest from growing. Evie could tell that Mal was the kind of girl that many people put their all into cracking, and all she could think of was that she wanted to be the only one who managed to get inside the girl. Mal was mysterious – and for an unknown reason that the logical part of her mind begged her not to listen to – Evie liked that.

            Knowing that she wasn’t going to be capable of getting any sleep she slowly lowered herself into the chair resting beside her, the random pain still clutching at her heart but with a lesser intensity. Her hands moved habitually, grabbing the abandoned fabric from the last outfit she had made and beginning to sew it into a completely new one. Her mind still spun quickly as she almost mindlessly sewed, frantically searching for a reason that tore her away from the mysterious lure her roommate emanated, away from the girl her mind knew was dangerous.

            However, the second she thought she might be succeeding every frantic and panicked thought was ripped away from her, the progress slipping through her fingers as her entire universe began shifting slowly. The feeling was coming back to her. Slowly – almost as if it were coming back with timid footsteps – the warmth seeped through her skin, crawling through her veins until every area of her body, every crevice, was coated in a beautiful relaxation that calmed her forced fear and her craving.

            And that was when the door opened.

 

**_(Mal)_ **

Stunning red-brown eyes landed on her the second she stepped into the room, pinning Mal to the floorboards with invisible nails, the visible emotions pouring from the girl’s eyes making her wish she could get lost in them. Mal shook herself from the trance, remembering that she had decided her strange attraction to the girl was rooted in the connection she had formed between them, and that she would see her as she saw everyone else once she severed the rope that bound them to each other. She chose to ignore the fact that she knew extremely well that a connection was nothing like a love-spell; she chose to ignore that the connection wouldn’t force her to find beauty in someone; she chose to ignore that the connection wouldn’t force her stomach to tangle around itself whenever the girl’s uniquely colored eyes flickered to her green ones. She chose to ignore that the connection she had formed had been specifically designed for protection, and that it only allowed her to locate the girl and know what she was feeling despite any distance between them, so she could know if she were in trouble. She chose to ignore it all in order to believe the lie she had created. She had no idea why every form of connection had the ability of tearing the connected two into pieces if there was any tension left unresolved between them, all she knew was that she wished it hadn’t been made to be that way because she didn’t want to be forced into cooperating with anyone; and that’s exactly what that part of the spell was doing, forcing her into being cooperative with Evie in order to avoid feeling any unbearable pain.

            Mal completely ignored the fact that part of her _wanted_ to cooperate with Evie, to get to know her and to let her through the iron walls she had fit around herself, knowing that this time the connection actually did have influence over the way she was feeling and that it wasn’t her own mind speaking. It was an effective attempt to get her to avoid leaving the girl on a bad note. She thought back to when she had stormed out earlier, remembering the vivid feeling of the connection breaking even though it hadn’t; it had been a warning that the pain would be much worse if it had actually been severed by behavior.

            She didn’t plan to break the connection through behavior, though.

            There were three ways of breaking a connection; the pleasant and utterly unlikely way, the simple way, and the excruciatingly painful way. The first way was extremely unlikely because it required an actual, non-magical connection. The connection created with magic would let go if feelings strong enough to form a family, or romantic, bond were to develop, and Mal saw that as highly unlikely considering she never even formed weak feelings for people. The second way to break the connection was by magic, which was what Mal was planning on doing. The spell could be counteracted by another if performed correctly, and Mal had no worries that she wouldn’t be strong enough to break the connection. The third way was the one she had just received a warning from, the excruciatingly painful way. This was done by hatred burning deep through at least one of the two connected, and it just so happened to be the most difficult, thankfully. It would take a great deal for one of them to begin despising the other due to the fact that the connection ultimately tricked them into believing they wanted to be with each other by flooding them with a perfect feeling of safety and relaxation every time they were close. Meaning that, even if they despised each other, they would still feel secure and comfortable with one another.

            However, no matter how much she told herself that the other foreign feelings coursing through her body whenever she was in the same room as Evie were due to the connection as well, the knowledgeable portion of her brain that stored away every bit of information she ever soaked in reminded her that it wasn’t the case. The connection only made her believe she wanted to be next to Evie at every possible moment, every feeling developed during the time they were together was solely her own. And though she generally never feared or worried about how she would feel when with someone – usually knowing that she wouldn’t feel a single thing directly toward them despite irritation – she was terrified.

            “Is that all of your things?”

            Evie’s voice tore Mal from her own mind, and as she quickly returned to reality she realized that she still stood in the doorway, the door wide open behind her. She cleared her throat and stepped further into the room, throwing the sole of her combat boot into the side of the door to close it before making her way over to the bed she already knew to be hers.

            “Mmhm,” Mal hummed, tossing her bag onto the bed and watching with amusement how the action shot a cloud of dirt into the air.

            She could tell that Evie had the complete opposite reaction to the dirt than she had, not only through being able to feel the girl’s disgust but also by witnessing the girl cringe through her peripheral vision. She glanced around the entire room again, eyebrow arched as she remembered how the girl had apologized for the state of the room despite it being the cleanest place Mal had ever been inside. _You’re a clean-freak, aren’t you?_ She preferred to have one-sided conversations with the girl in her mind, feeling more comfortable with the fact that she couldn’t respond, and therefore couldn’t learn anything about her through what she said.

            Despite this, Mal decided it would be best if she spoke again before Evie did. “It’s practically all clothes, though there’s one small book.” She didn’t clarify that it was a spell-book.

            “How many outfits do you have?” Evie questioned, eyebrows knit together in what Mal knew was concern.

            “Uh… about three, why?” Mal answered honestly, tagging the question onto the end. However, as her gaze flickered over the overly-used closet and bursting dresser drawers she received her answer. A small smirk formed on her face. “Never mind.”

            She was keeping her replies short while trying not to make the girl feel as though she didn’t like her, her responses also conditioned to give away the smallest amount of information about herself as possible. The more the girl knew about her, the less she would like her, and Mal didn’t want Evie to find her as repulsive as everyone else seemed to. That was another feeling she blamed on the connection, her desire for Evie to think something greater of her than everyone else.

            “Anyway, what are you doing?” Mal questioned, hoping to move the conversation topic off of her.

            “I’m… I’m making a new outfit,” Evie muttered so quietly that Mal knew the girl had hoped she wouldn’t hear her response; she had.

            She allowed another smirk to play on her lips. “Don’t have enough, I’d assume.”

            Evie lowered her gaze back to what her hands were doing, never looking at Mal directly again; and Mal decided to pretend that she didn’t see the girl continuing to glance at her through her peripheral vision. Mal used the break in conversation to head over to the closet on her side of the room and pull open the doors, finding that she didn’t need as much strength as she used when one of the doors broke away from its hold at the top. _Oops_. Shrugging it off, she ran her fingers over the objects hanging from the wooden pole, throwing a glance over her shoulder at Evie’s closet to make sure they were for what she figured before grabbing her two other leather jackets and hanging them carelessly.

            “You like leather jackets, _I’d assume_ ,” Evie’s voice carried through the room as she slid the last jacket onto the hanger and zipped it up, a slight bite laced through the words Mal had used minutes before.

            Mal quirked her eyebrow and allowed the corners of her mouth to curl into an impressed smile. _This girl has some bite to her. Interesting. Good to know_. She turned to meet the girl’s gaze again, swallowing the thick lump that immediately formed in her throat subtly and brushing passed the effect Evie’s eyes seemed to have on her. She shrugged nonchalantly and moved back to her new bed, leaving the closet doors wide open, the right hanging lower than the other due to the disconnected screws. Without even needing to ask she knew that Evie disliked how she had left the closet, and she felt a slight rush from irking the girl as she did when messing with others. She smirked, _now, there’s a feeling that is mine_.

            Carelessly, she tossed the few clothing articles she had in the dresser on her side and retrieved her spell-book before shoving the now empty bag to the floor, and plopping down, her body sinking into the soft mattress as if it had been created to fit her body. _Mm, cozy_. She reveled in the feeling of the mattress, having never had a bed to sleep in her entire life. Not even when she had still been with her mother had she had a bed, the woman having forced her to sleep on the ground.

            For what felt like half an hour Mal merely listened to the buzz of the machine Evie was using, the sound surprisingly soothing her; though she suspected everything would sooth her considering she was in the same room as Evie. _I might be able to get used to this._ Just then the buzzing stopped, and she could make out the sound of the girl moving from the table and across the room seconds before the lights went out, the sudden darkness almost startling her. However, her eyes adjusted quickly, faster than she knew Evie’s would. She propped her head up with her arms, watching the girl as she blindly made her way back to her bed, the closed curtains shutting out any moonlight that would have otherwise guided her safely. She watched the girl slide under the covers on her neatly made and beautifully decorated bed, watched as she situated herself on her right side and let out a deep breath, her lips parting to speak.

            “Goodnight,” Evie’s voice was barely above a whisper, but Mal heard it like she had spoken in her usual volume.

            “Night, Princess,” Mal replied, noting the way the girl’s mouth curved upward at the chosen nickname.

            Mal tried to ignore the way her stomach fluttered as she witnessed the soft smile, the fact that she had been the one to coax it out of the girl not helping in the slightest. _Why is she so effortlessly beautiful to me?_ Not liking the idea that the girl’s beauty affected her in the way it did she decided to focus on something else, attempting to push the image of her soft, adorable smile from her mind.

            Reaching to where she had dropped it beside her she gripped the binding of her spell-book and scooted up her bed to lean against the headboard, flipping through the pages until she found the spell she had used to attach the girl to her. Scanning the words printed onto the page with ease due to her night-vision she flipped two more pages before finding what she had been looking for.

            The spell to reverse the connection.


	9. Chapter 9

**_(Evie)_ **

Having grown extremely well-acquainted with the crackling warmth that had made its first appearance three nights before Evie found it particularly difficult to cope with the empty feeling coursing through her when it had suddenly dissipated. She had spent the entire weekend heavily consumed by the relaxing heat, which had given her hope that it would never leave again; it had turned out to be false hope. Though, this time, when it had disappeared there had been zero pain, only an unexpected tug on every inch of her chest that resulted with everything inside her feeling lighter, almost as if none of it was there anymore; gone with her feeling of security. It was taking up the entirety of the front of her mind, and she found that she often couldn’t focus on anything else, which she knew was utterly unhealthy – especially during school hours. But she couldn’t help it, she wanted the feeling back.

            She breathed in deeply, letting her eyelids fall to block the rest of the world out enough to allow herself the opportunity to clear her head. _Okay, Evie_ , she started an internal pep-talk; _today, you_ have _to focus on school work. You can’t zone out like you did last Friday_. Though she felt multiple tugs on her mind urging her in several different ways she managed to push everything unnecessary from her mind by continuing the internal pep-talk.

            However, as she continuously repeated that she needed to focus on the lesson once it finally started her mind abruptly failed her as something she wasn’t expecting anytime soon crashed into her, something she found she wasn’t strong enough to resist; though she wouldn’t resist it even if she could. The feeling was returning. Her favorite warmth quickly seeped through her skin, reaching its comforting touch to the depths of her body and warming every centimeter within a split-second. Exhaling in relief, she basked in the feeling of relaxation and security that now controlled her body, delighted that it had returned after such a brief disappearance, it having left only when she exited the dorms to travel to her class.

            With the feeling returned she figured she would be able to focus solely on the lesson, but that turned out to be false as well when movement in her left peripheral caught her attention, causing her to turn in that direction, only to find her heart-rate increasing at what she saw. _Are you kidding me?_ Evie thought as she quickly turned to face the front of the classroom and covered her face with her hands, heat coursing through her cheeks due to her embarrassment of her unnatural behavior. Glancing through her fingers she subtly brought her gaze back to the girl that had startled her with her appearance.

            She watched Mal look around the room with a mixed expression of confusion and disgust, following her movements as she moved through the various tables lined neatly in rows to the empty table behind the one Evie sat at. _Oh my goodness_. Evie inhaled sharply, turning her body back to face the front, well aware that if she remained twisted in her seat someone would figure out she was creepily watching the girl. _It’s alright, Evie. Calm down_ , she exhaled slowly, trying to comfort herself; _why am I even acting like this anyway? She’s just a normal girl. The same as everyone else in this room_. Gripping her fingers around the magic mirror resting on the corner of her table she carefully adjusted it so that she could view Mal through it without anyone noticing. _Except she’s really, really attractive_. She shook her head as she flipped the hand-held mirror over, disappointed in herself for using it to stare at her new roommate. _What is wrong with me?_

            The answer to that question came easily to her, and she sighed heavily, trying her best to push it from her mind and remind herself that watching someone through a mirror had no justification. _It’s beyond creepy_. Nothing could change that fact no matter how hard she tried to convince herself. Her reasoning for watching the girl closely wasn’t an excuse, in fact, if she continued it might even make the reasoning impossible. _No one wants to be friends with someone who all but stalks them_. However, that made her giggle quietly to herself, just now recalling that Doug had practically done the same exact thing to her, yet she was still close friends with him.

            At that moment – as she spent time remembering some of the strangest moments she’d had with Doug – another movement caught her attention, and she glanced up to find her lab partner sitting down beside her. _Speak of the devil…_

            “Hey, Doug,” Evie smiled radiantly, sliding her textbook from Doug’s side of the table to make room for his supplies.

            “Hello, Evie,” Doug returned the smile, sitting down on his stool and hoisting his bag onto the surface of the table. “How was your weekend?”

            A sharp bullet of jealously quickly shot through Evie, briefly tightening her chest, the emotion highly confusing her as it found a settlement inside her. Though the feeling was dull she could feel it nesting in the middle of her chest, and she found herself glancing down at the table in confusion, her eyebrows drawing together as she struggled to find a causation behind the unexpected feeling. It was then that Evie felt a searing gaze penetrating through the back of her head, the new knowledge sending a shiver down her spine just before she felt the stare tearing away from her; and somehow she knew the person was still watching.

            “It was pretty good,” Evie answered somewhat honestly before feeling the need to further explain. “I mean, other than the tourney game it was pretty boring at first, but then something interesting happened Saturday night.”

            She heard the sound of leather moving as if someone wearing it had tensed, and before she could stop herself she glanced over her shoulder. Mal’s eyes were focused on the boring design of the desk where her pointer finger pressed into, her back completely straightened as if she had tensed all her muscles. Fighting the urge to ask her new roommate if she was alright Evie turned back to Doug.

            “Interesting, huh?” Doug replied, his eyebrows raising over the top of his glasses. “What happened?”

            “Uh…” Evie found herself struggling to remember what she had told him. _Oh, right!_ “I got my first roommate!”

            “Really?” Doug questioned, clearly surprised by the information. “What’s her name?”

            Evie’s heart-rate accelerated at his question, and she suddenly grew uncomfortable talking about Mal as if she weren’t even there when she was directly behind them. Her nerves stiffening her spine more than her great posture did, Evie slowly turned in her stool and allowed her right arm to gesture toward the girl sitting behind her.

            “Doug, this is Mal, my new roommate,” Evie introduced, letting her gaze fall over the way Mal’s gaze snapped up the second her name was spoken. “Mal, this is my friend, Doug.”

            “Hi, it’s nice to meet you,” Doug spoke, extending his hand to the girl.

            Mal glanced briefly at the boy’s hand before lifting her eyes to meet Doug’s, her expression completely neutral and showing her disinterest. She didn’t take his hand, instead sliding her gaze back over Evie. Swallowing the thick lump that had formed in her throat, Evie tried – with difficultly – not to stare at the way Mal’s vibrant green eyes seemed to be glowing more than she remembered from the limited time they had spent together over the weekend; but to no avail. Within seconds of the girl bringing their gazes together Evie found herself losing herself in the unique green coloring, and she quickly found that every noise and movement occurring around them disappeared.

            Reality tore through her conscious when Doug cleared his throat. “Okay, um, so where did you transfer from?”

            Evie’s stomach sank when Mal removed her gaze from her own to glance over at Doug again. _No, why can’t you answer while looking at me?_ Her eyelids fell shut as she internally sighed; _because that didn’t sound desperate or creepy at all_. She was just glad she hadn’t said it out loud.

            “A better place,” Mal deadpanned, her face still lacking any form of expression.

            Doug looked over at her, his eyebrows lifting in a silent sarcastic phrase; _well, isn’t she lovely_. Evie only smiled at him in response before turning in her seat to rest her elbows on the table so she could bury her face in her hands for the second time that morning. _Why am I so interested in this girl when she’s constantly blunt and rude to everyone?_ She was highly confused about the irresistible pull she felt tugging her closer to the mysterious girl, then her mind changed paths completely, the new thought only causing her more confusion; _but she’s not rude to everyone. She was only rude to me once_. Blowing out a heavy breath through the gap in her fingers she couldn’t help but let her mind wander even further. _But she_ was _rude to me at first. And she’s rude to everyone else, including Ben, which means that it’s her personality_. She was trying to talk herself into seeing Mal through normal eyes, but it only took another breath for everything to spiral downhill again, the strange lure of the girl winning the battle. _She’s nice to me, though, which must mean something_. And that only left her with a singular overarching question; _why am_ I _the one she’s nice to?_ Shutting her eyes and holding her breath, she tried not to think about the reasons why that could be, knowing that every possibility she thought of would only heighten her already pointless hopes of becoming special to the girl.

            And that led to a whole new flurry of thoughts. _Why do I even want to be special to her? I just met her, and therefore know absolutely nothing about her_. She stopped briefly; _well, that’s not true. I know that she despises high authority. And I also know that she loves leather_. Her thoughts strayed to the necklace the girl had been wearing the day before; _and she must love dragons_. Before she even knew what was happening a smile appeared on her lips, _I_ do _know something about her_. It wasn’t much, but it was still something, and she planned on learning as much as she could, as much as the girl would let her. However, the way in which her roommate spoke to everyone else flooded her mind once again, and in result she pulled her bottom lip into her mouth in worry. _How am I going to get to know the girl when she answers every personal question with venom or sass?_ Everything she wanted to learn about the girl seemed more impossible to find out when she remembered the hard, rude nature of her.

            Sighing, Evie finally uncovered her face when she heard the final bell ring, signaling that the class was beginning. Resting her chin in her hand she listened closely as the teacher began lecturing about lab rules, that is, until she felt a warm stare heating the back of her head and causing the small hairs on the back of her neck to stand at attention. Trying to be casual about it, she slid her hand to the back of her head as she glanced over her shoulder, her heart stopping in the middle of a beat when she was met by piercing green eyes. Mal seemed to be paying more attention to her than the teacher; though something in her wasn’t surprised about the girl paying little attention to the lesson. What baffled her though was that the girl had chosen to focus her attention on her, and that she hadn’t even attempted to turn away when Evie had met her gaze.

            Not wanting to allow herself to get lost in those uniquely vibrant eyes she turned around in her seat to face the teacher, trying to force every thought about the girl and her enchanting eyes from her mind enough to allow the teacher’s words in. It was only when Doug nudged her shoulder that she realized the teacher had already finished.

            “Sorry,” Evie apologized to Doug, clearing her mind and scanning over the equipment in front of her. “So, we are to…”

            “You have no idea what he said, do you?” Doug questioned, not seeming at all disconcerted by her uncharacteristic behavior.

            Evie opened her mouth to say that she had heard the directions, but she felt horrible lying even before she had, so she resealed her lips and simply shook her head, feeling incredibly guilty.

            “What’s been up with you lately?” Doug asked, reaching forward to start the lab.

            “What do you mean?” Evie cleared her throat, feeling extremely awkward about not knowing how to help.

            “It’s nothing,” Doug waved his hand dismissively, glancing at Evie briefly as he pushed his glasses up his nose. “It’s just that… you’ve been kind of distant lately.”

            “Have I?” She had no idea how she was going to get out of this conversation without sounding mental again.

            Doug shifted uncomfortably as he continued the lab. “Well, I mean… yeah, you have,” he chanced a glance at her, his gaze flickering behind her for a split-second before meeting Evie’s again. “You missed the entire assignment last week and had to ask me what our homework was. You _never_ space out in class and need help remembering what the assignment is.”

            Evie sighed in defeat, well aware that Doug was completely correct, but she still had no idea what she was going to tell him. When she had told Carlos and Jay what was going on they had found her insane, not feeling the heated pulse of the necklace and not understanding how a necklace could react to anything in the first place; though she had never tried to argue that it made any sense, she knew it didn’t. _What am I going to tell him? What could possibly make me distant from my education and friends?_ She had no clue what could possibly explain, or excuse, her behavior, after all, there isn’t much that should keep someone from their friends or their education. She sighed, _and lying to them to protect myself from being thought of as insane isn’t what a good friend would do_.

            However, when she opened her mouth to explain everything that’s happened recently to Doug she found herself suddenly unable to speak as an unexpected pain gripped her chest. Her body lurched forward and she shut her eyes in pain, pressing her forehead into the surface of the table. _Oh my… what is happening?_ She inhaled deeply, her fingers curling around the hem of her dress.

            A hand gripped her shoulder gently, but it only felt like a rush of air hitting her shoulder, her body unable to register much more than the current pain tearing apart her chest. The second she let more of her body connect with the table a gasp slipped through her lips and she straightened up immediately afterwards, her hand lifting for her fingers to clasp around the glass jewel resting against her chest. _Oh my goodness_. She couldn’t believe it. The pain resonated in the necklace. Each time the necklace pulsed in her grasp it sent electric bolts into her hand and up the length of her arm, and when she let it fall from her fingers the pain only started traveling in through her chest again.

            Somehow, she understood what it was doing; it was giving her the biggest warning of her life. She just didn’t understand what that warning was. _What are you trying to tell me?_ Evie questioned the necklace in her mind, the pain intensifying greatly in a short amount of time and causing her to shut her eyes another time, her entire face scrunching in pain.

 

**_(Mal)_ **

The second Evie had hunched over in pain Mal had felt an overwhelmingly strong power radiating from the girl, and on top of the confusion created from the strange power she found a dull discomfort settling inside her chest as a sample of what Evie was currently experiencing. Sliding her gaze over the girl in front of her she willed herself not to care about the pain she was in, but it only took three seconds of chewing on the inside of her lip for her to give into the seemingly irresistible urge dancing directly in her vision.

            And so she abruptly stood from her seat and moved around the table until she was standing behind Evie where she harshly batted Doug’s hand from the girl’s shoulder and replaced it with her own, the force of the unknown power surprising her and nearly making her draw back. However, before the power could overwhelm her she felt the girl relaxing into her touch.

            “Hey, are you doing okay?”

            She didn’t know why she cared so much, but she liked to pretend it was because of the connection and ignore the possibility of it being because of the girl’s unnatural beauty and excessive kind-hearted nature. Though – with only two days of being with the girl – she had already found instances where she got irritated by how sweet the girl was. Despite this, though, she regretted to admit to even herself that she already found herself enjoying the girl’s overly-kind gestures, mostly when they were directed toward her; okay, _only_ when they were directed toward her.

            “Yeah, I’m just… it’s getting better, now, I’ll be fine in a moment,” Evie answered, reaching up to cover Mal’s fingers with her own.

            Mal tried to ignore the pleasant feeling that shot up her arm when the girl’s fingers slid over hers, and doing so proved to be extremely easy when a black figure moved swiftly passed the classroom window that led outdoors, effectively snatching her attention. She didn’t need to question what was happening anymore; the power radiating from the girl, the lightning traveling through her arms from where she held her, and now the dark figure moving around just outside the window. Everything slid together in her mind.

            Sliding her hand from under Evie’s and releasing the girl’s shoulder, Mal moved around the table and head directly for the doorway, ignoring every protest the teacher shouted after her. _Not the time, asshole_ , she thought after the man had threatened her with what she assumed shut every other student up quickly. _I hate to break it to you, but some things are more important than chemistry_. Hurrying through the hallway she searched for a way to the area outside the classroom she had just been in, which ended up being extremely easy to find.

            The blaring sun stared down at her the moment she exited the building, and she found herself having to raise her hand over her eyes to shield them from the harsh rays. Stepping to the right she glanced through the glass to find Evie still hunched over, appearing as though she were in more pain than before Mal had left. _Hang in there, Princess. I’ve got you covered_. Tearing her gaze away from the girl through the window she moved further down the side of the building, in the direction she had seen the figure move. However, the second she passed the entirety of the chemistry class she knew something was flawed in the way she was going about this, and before she could take a step back to mull over her possibilities she found out that they had been waiting for her.

            Searing pain shot through her skull and the vision in her left-eye caught hold of billions of tiny black dots as the force of something connecting with the side of her head sent her spiraling to the ground. Knowing that if she tried to catch herself she would break her arm she let herself fall, wincing at the pain created from her shoulder colliding with the concrete. Rolling onto her back she used her good eye to locate the burly men standing above her, one of them holding what looked to be a broken tourney stick – more than likely broken from the blow to her head – but neither of them were making a move to attack her again; they thought she was done for. Well, they were about to be surprised.

            “Who do you work for?”

            Mal blinked up at the men, trying to figure out which one had spoken. _Does it matter which one spoke? You’ll be answering the same way no matter what_. She struggled to clear her mind from the wave of haze coating it, praying that her vision would return to her soon, not that she really needed it to defeat these buffoons.

            “That’s a great question, isn’t it?” Mal replied, pushing herself into a sitting position and watching as the man with the broken stick held it up, ready to strike if necessary. “Maybe you should answer it first.”

            “Store the bullshit, little girl,” the one without the tourney stick spat, eyes narrowed down at her. “Who sent you?”

            “My mom, maybe, it is a school, after all,” Mal refused to listen to his unofficial order, knowing there was zero chance she’d be capable of answering properly; she just wasn’t that type of person.

            The guy talking motioned to the other, and before Mal could comprehend what he was ordering the tourney stick connected with the shoulder she had landed painfully on, the shattered wood ripping through the leather of her jacket and finding a new home inside her skin. She bit down on her lip to suppress a sound of pain, not wanting to show any sign of weakness; though, as blood trickled down the side of her head she figured that wish had passed unmade.

            “You know, which I doubt you actually do considering it’s happening, it’s a really _terrible_ idea to be torturing someone just outside a high school classroom,” Mal pointed out, nodding at the see-through glass behind her.

            An animalistic growl sounded through the air just before the guy who seemed to be in charge knelt down in front of her and closed his hand around her throat, bringing his face inches from hers.

            “Know what?” Mal gasped out, her voice quieter than usual due to the grip on her throat cutting off her air supply. “No one ever looks out these windows anyway. Please proceed. You were going to tell me who you work for.”

            His hand closed around her throat more tightly. _Well, it was worth a shot._ Mal reached up and grabbed hold of the guy’s wrist, her magic already rising from inside her and preparing for whatever she wanted it to do, which happened to be burning. The guy yelped and pulled back, his eyes widening as he met her gaze in panic, his good arm now cradling his injured one. _Now I see why Head chose me so easily_ , Mal internally smirked; _because everyone else after the necklace doesn’t have any form of magic_. It was the most brilliant plan Head had ever had. _There’s almost no competition_.

            To terrorize the burly men, Mal let her magic swirl around her in green smoky wisps as she forced herself to her feet, the action causing her vision to blur and her head to swim with excruciating pain. Still, she didn’t show any sign of weakness as the two men in front of her stood as if they had been frozen to the concrete beneath their feet. She could tell that they knew running wouldn’t help their situation.

            “So… you two want to tell me who you work for, now?” Mal questioned, finding herself highly amused by the frantic way they searched for an escape route. Neither of them spoke, so Mal broke the growing silence. “No? Shame.”

            “We betray no one,” one of the men hissed.

            “Aw, that’s cute, you’re loyal,” Mal stuck her lower lip out in a pout. “Loyalty is something I never learned.”

            The more talkative agent launched himself at her, but with a flick of her wrist he went up in flames, his body turned to ash by the time it hit the ground by her feet. Sudden heat scorched through her side before she could shift her attention to the other man, and she could feel the wood shards slicing through her skin and settling in. A sharp cry of pain escaped her lips as she twisted her body so that the guy’s momentum sent him hurling into the side of the building instead of her, the pain shooting through her side sending her to her knees. Directing her palm at the guy she released another flash of fire, and within another split-second his body had become ash as well, the well-ground flakes being lifted in the wind to scatter over Auradon.

            _Fuck_ , Mal exhaled sharply as she allowed her body to collapse. Using her uninjured arm, she fought through the pain to pull herself over to the wall so she could lean her body against it as she healed herself. The distant sound of a dog barking could be distinguished through the blood pumping forcibly in her ears, but she ignored it as she rested her back against the stone wall and inhaled deeply. _I need to stop messing around with these guys and just kill them the second I see them_. Cursing herself again she reached to her right shoulder, peeling the shredded material from the wound and surveying – as best she could with her vision at the quality it currently was – the damage done.

            By the time she registered the increasing volume of the bark there was a small dog beside her, the pestering sound causing her head to throb even worse with how close the animal was to her now. Reaching over with her good arm she pressed her knuckles against the dog’s chest to push him backward, not wanting to deal with him but also not wanting to hurt him.

            “Would you get out of here?” Mal hissed, pushing the dog away another time. “Or at least shut up.”

            The dog continued barking.

            “Great,” Mal breathed out heavily before turning her attention back to herself.

            However, before she could get a good look at her side the sound of quick footsteps caught her attention, and she shifted her attention to the direction they were coming from before she glanced down and narrowed her eyes at the dog. _You brought someone, didn’t you?_ Mal searched frantically for the quickest way to get to cover, but due to the state she was in she knew she’d never be able to make it in time, especially not if the dog chose to follow her. _Stupid mutt_ , Mal grumbled, bringing her hand to shove the dog away from her one last time.

            The footsteps came to a halt.

            “Oh my god, are you… what happened?”


	10. Chapter 10

**_(Mal)_ **

Despite knowing there was nothing she could do Mal found herself still searching for an escape route, a way to keep herself from having to experience this moment any further than she already had. _Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. How am I going to get out of this?_ She cursed herself for being so careless; for crawling closer to the school instead of away from it; for allowing herself to even be injured in the first place. _How could I be so ridiculously careless? Why didn’t I even consider the possibility of those agents wanting to lure me out instead of Evie? To get rid of me so Evie’s an easier target._ Which made her wonder if they had figured out that Evie had protection simply from one group disappearing.

            She glanced up at the boy who had spoken, noting that it was the same boy she had questioned about Evie on her first day here. _Hey, kid. It’s been a while._ She tried to remember the boy’s name, remembering that she had asked him during their first meeting, she just couldn’t recall it.

            “Just a little fun, is all,” Mal replied finally, moving further up the wall and wincing at the pain the action caused her. “Nothing to worry about, I promise.”

            “That’s not what it looks like,” the small boy shook his head, denying her explanation and moving closer to her.

            Magic surged through her and lit up her eyes, causing the boy to take a step back in fear, however, knowing that all the boy wanted to do was try to help she forced herself to calm down. When the magic lay dormant in her body the boy moved closer once more, much more hesitant this time as he crouched down beside her to get a better look at her visible wounds. She hissed when his fingertips accidentally brushed over the raw skin that remained punctured by the splintered wood from the tourney stick. The boy glanced over at the shattered stick and turned back to meet her gaze, his eyes telling her that he knew she was lying about it having happened for amusement. _Well, it could have worked on someone stupid enough. Bravo, kid, for not being an idiot like the rest of Auradon seems to be._ Once again, she felt almost guilty not excluding Evie from that statement. _Don’t worry, Princess,_ she addressed the girl, though she was well aware she couldn’t hear her; _I don’t think you’re an idiot._

            The next words that came from the boy’s lips caused a bullet of fear to rip through her skin and directly target her heart. “Dude, go get help.”

            At first, the fear eased because she remembered that it was only the two of them there, and who could he be talking to – _right?_ \- but it flared to higher limits than before when the dog barked, running down the outside hallway to turn the corner Mal had turned to get outside. _Oh, great, the mutt can understand English. Just my luck._ She decided to try to use that as a way to get the attention off of her.

            “Your dog can understand you?” Mal questioned, knowing she didn’t sound nearly as kind as she had intended to.

            “Yup,” the boy responded, reaching to peel the leather from her open wounds.

            Mal’s arm jerked from the pain and she closed her fingers around Carlos’ wrist with a viperous grip. _Carlos!_ That was his name. She forced out a painful laugh, her fingers only closing more tightly around the boy’s bone as her fingernails dug into his skin.

            “Listen, _buddy_ ,” Mal let the friendly nickname slip her lips coated with venom. “If you don’t leave _right now_ I’m going to put you in a much worse state than I’m in.”

            Carlos’ puppy-like eyes met hers, but he didn’t budge. “You need help. You’ve been seriously injured, and…”

            “It’s not even that bad, kid,” Mal interrupted, well aware that she was lying; the pain was thick enough to cause her to shake. “Please, I’m begging you to leave it to me. I can deal with it on my own.”

            “You’re not used to anyone helping you, are you?” Carlos asked, still not leaving.

            A groan of frustration tore through Mal’s throat, and she leaned her head back against the cool stone wall in exasperation, finding herself desperate to get the boy to leave her alone. Though it seemed that it wouldn’t matter even if she did convince him to leave because not even five minutes later the incessant barking could be heard again, and only a few seconds after that the dog had returned to her side, once again bringing someone with him. _Too fucking careless._ Mal thought, cursing herself another time for letting things come to this. _I won’t make this mistake again._

            “Oh my goodness, are you alright, dear?”

            _Fantastic,_ she thought sarcastically when she realized the person the mutt had fetched was none other than Fairy Godmother; _because she’s just the woman I wanted to see again._

            “Let’s get her to the nurse,” Fairy Godmother said, meeting Carlos’ gaze.

            “No, um… how about you don’t,” Mal replied, planting her palm on Carlos’ chest and shoving him to the ground when he tried to grab her. “I don’t need a nurse, I just need you two to leave me alone.”

            “Just hold still, sweetie,” Fairy Godmother ignored her, bending down to help Carlos get her onto her feet. “Moving you will cause a bit of pain.”

            _A bit?_ Mal wanted nothing more than to blow this woman one-thousand feet from her, but as she struggled she caught a glimpse over the woman’s shoulder and noticed the crowd that had gathered. _Well, shit. What a show, huh?_

            “Come on,” Carlos grunted, having taken a few blows to the side of his face as the three of them struggled against each other. “The more you struggle, the more it’ll hurt.”

            _Kid’s right,_ she sighed in defeat, letting her body fall motionless in their arms – purposefully leaning more against Carlos and away from Fairy Godmother – and finally allowing them to support the majority of her weight as they moved slowly in the direction she assumed the infirmary was. She grumbled the entire way, scrunching her face each time pain shot through her entire body, the loss of blood due to the prolonged healing severely weakening her. A few other people ran up to help, but after only a few more minutes at the slow pace they had adopted, for Mal, everything went black.

********

A shooting, unbearable pain drew her back into consciousness, the pain resonated – but not limited to – her right side. Before her eyes even opened her arm snapped forward and she clasped a wrist in her hand tightly, twisting the person’s arm until she heard them cry out for help, and before she knew it there were more hands on her, breaking her grasp and pinning her to the surface she currently laid on. Not having the proper strength to break free from the number of people holding her she submitted, lying perfectly still against the heated surface warming her body, her chest heaving rapidly.

            “She sure is strong despite the blood loss.”

            “Yeah, she never seems to stop fighting.”

            She knew that second voice. Slowly, Mal pried her eyes open, searching through the blurry coating over her eyes for the boy, finding that she was almost relieved he was somewhere with her, and once her vision cleared enough for her to locate him she almost found herself smiling at the sight of him. Almost. It was just something about his brown puppy-dog eyes that made her like him.

            “She’s awake,” Carlos told someone out of Mal’s sight.

            “Keep her distracted,” a woman’s voice responded, one she didn’t recognize.

            “How?” Carlos asked, seeming bewildered by the order.

            “I don’t know, what kinds of things does she like?” The woman asked, finally coming into view.

            Mal studied the woman briefly, noting that she was wearing a bright yellow dress, an apron tied around her – which Mal assumed was to keep her dress free from any possible bloodstains.

            Carlos shrugged, his eyes widened as he looked up at the woman. “I don’t know her that well. I’ve only seen her twice, and despite telling me to leave her alone the only thing she’s said to me was when she was asking me to point out Evie.”

            “Well, do _something_ ,” the woman sighed heavily, wiping at her forehead with her arm. “Or she’s going to freak like she did when she woke.”

            “Yes, Your Highness.”

            _Your Highness?_ Now, she was properly confused.

            She watched as Carlos took a deep, unsettling breath, his gaze sliding over her briefly before the smallest glint of hope sparked in his brown eyes. _He must have found something he thinks will work,_ Mal thought, her eyelids fluttering and threatening to block out the world again; _I feel bad he doesn’t know nothing will work. I will always freak because I could have healed myself already if I hadn’t gotten myself caught up in this horrid situation_. Still, she found herself grateful that the boy – despite not really knowing her – cared enough about her health to call for help and stay with her until the worst was over; at least, that’s what she assumed he was doing sitting in a chair beside her.

            “You have a tattoo,” Carlos spoke up, getting her attention and causing her to force her eyes open.

            Glancing down at her forearm, she noticed that her shredded jacket and her shirt had both been removed, completely baring her arms and the majority of her upper-body. She didn’t have time to completely take any of that in though because something else caught her attention immediately after she looked down at herself; her side. Her skin was almost completely raw, the broken stick having punctured in several places, each wound as they traveled up her side seemingly deeper than the one before it. _Damn, he got a good shot._

            Acutely aware that both Carlos and the woman were staring at her in hope she tore her gaze from the wound in her side and focused back on the young boy. “Yeah, I got it a couple years ago.”

            A wide smile appeared on Carlos’ face. “How old were you when you got it?”

            “Just turned fifteen,” Mal answered, too tired to be rude to the boy. “I was positive I was already done growing, so I figured it wouldn’t be a terrible idea to get it early.”

            “And your mom just let you, honey,” the woman chimed in, focusing her attention back on Mal’s side.

            Mal winced when the woman pulled a shard of wood from her skin, but fought the initial urge to strangle her. “I don’t have a mother.” That was all she was saying about that topic, though.

            “I’m sorry to hear that,” the woman replied, meeting her gaze briefly before returning her undivided attention back to the wound.

            _Well, I’m not. I don’t need a mother._

            Carlos cleared his throat, clearly sensing Mal’s patience was wearing thin. “So, you like dragons, I take it.”

            “Oh, you have no idea, kid,” Mal smiled weakly at the boy, knowing it would forever remain a secret that she could turn into one.

            “Why do you keep calling me kid?” Carlos questioned, moving onto another topic.

            Mal would have shrugged if she could, but she settled for cocking her head. “Don’t know, you just look young.”

            “I’m sixteen,” Carlos said quietly, almost like he was ashamed of his age. “But I’ll be seventeen before the school year’s out. How old are you?”

            “Seventeen,” Mal breathed out heavily, trying her best to hold in a yelp of pain when the woman pulled out another shard, this one feeling much deeper than the last.

            “That’s all of them, sweetie.”

            “Don’t call me that,” Mal growled, chest heaving and vision swimming.

            The woman ignored her. “Now, I have to tend to your arm, but it doesn’t look nearly as bad, so it shouldn’t hurt as much.”

            “Oh, goody,” Mal huffed in annoyance.

            Suddenly, she felt a light tug on her chest, and she immediately found herself craving for Evie’s presence. _Stop it!_ Mal all but shouted at the connection between them. _I don’t need her like you’re trying to make me believe I do._ She was tired of the connection making her crave the girl, and she was almost desperate to break it, however, she knew she didn’t have the power necessary to perform the spell. She needed more power, more magic, and she knew exactly where she could get it once her mission was complete. _I need that necklace if I want to break the connection. And I need Evie to cooperate with me because she’s the only one who can use the damned thing._ Breaking the spell had already proved more difficult than she had wished for, but she had a plan for making it more simple, and as long as she never managed to get on the girl’s bad side she knew she should be capable of meeting the plan’s criteria.

            Picking the splints and slivers from her arm didn’t take much time at all, and within the next five minutes she found herself in a sitting position while the woman caring for her wounds wrapped a strange white material around her side. _To keep the ointment on the wound instead of spread all over every surface you touch,_ the woman had told her; and she was forced to believe her considering there wasn’t much else she could do in that moment. Finally, the woman left the room, leaving her with only Carlos, the boy making no move to leave her as well.

            “Why are you still here?” Mal asked after she had laid her body back against the soft surface of the infirmary bed, her eyes closed due to the unbearable weight of her eyelids.

            She could feel the sheets beneath her shifting, letting her know that the boy was manipulating the material in his nervous state. _Nervous, huh?_

            “I just… I don’t want you to be alone,” Carlos answered after a brief moment, his voice timidly quiet.

            “I can handle myself, you know,” Mal stated, struggling to pry open her eyes enough to bring the boy back into her sight. “You don’t have to worry about me.”

            “I know,” he whispered, his big brown eyes meeting her smaller green ones. “I’m still worried, though. You looked pretty bad when I found you.”

            “That was nothing,” Mal breathed out, wishing she was lying. “I’ve had much worse, kid.”

            “Really? How much worse?”

            Mal hesitated, everything inside her screaming at her not to tell the boy anything more about her past, but as she managed to open her eyes fully she noticed the vulnerable, caring look present in his eyes, and it suddenly made her want to divulge her past to him.

            “I’ve been beaten close to death before,” Mal replied honestly, seeing no reason to keep the truth from the small boy; and she didn’t stop there. “By someone who all but called himself my father.”

            She could see the sympathy in his eyes, and although she didn’t want anyone feeling sorry for her she couldn’t bring herself to hate the fact that he worried about her.

            “I’m sorry, that sounds so terrible,” Carlos spoke softly, his fingers still manipulating the sheet. “I don’t have the best family life either.”

            “Oh, yeah?” Mal questioned, delighted to get the focus of the conversation off her.

            Carlos nodded. “Yeah, my mother treated me like a servant. Making me do things like touch up her roots and scrape the bunions off her feet. And she made me terrified of dogs for the longest time.”

            “That’s disgusting,” Mal scrunched her face in disgust, the second part of the boy’s confession almost making her laugh. “Afraid of dogs?”

            “Yeah,” Carlos chuckled, reaching to scratch the back of his neck. “I’m not afraid anymore.”

            “I can tell,” Mal stated, her gaze searching the room for the mutt and finding him resting on the floor by the boy’s feet. _Of course, there you are, you scruffy mutt. I bet you rarely leave his side._

            A bell unexpectedly sounded through the room and Carlos looked up at the clock at the sound, his eyes falling to meet Mal’s again before he spoke. “I’m sorry, but that’s the lunch bell, and I’m really hungry.”

            “Go ahead, kid,” Mal waved him off with her good arm. “Doesn’t bother me.”

            “Do you want me to bring you anything?” Carlos asked, looking hesitant to leave her alone.

            “No, I’ll be fine,” Mal answered, her gaze falling on the needle stuck in her hand. “I think the drugs took away my appetite.”

            “You sure?”

            “Positive,” Mal nodded in confirmation. “Now, go.”

            She watched the boy leave the room hesitantly before struggling into a sitting position, her head pounding with the effort. _Fucking pain-meds,_ she grumbled, reaching down to remove the needle from her hand. Tossing the entire tube onto the ground she looked around the infirmary, noticing that she was the only one occupying a bed. _What? Are people in Auradon so careful that they don’t get injured? Does the goodness inside them make them immune to viruses?_ That one made her laugh, but she sighed heavily shortly after and fell back against the bed, disappointed that she kept laughing at her own jokes recently.

            Now that she was alone her mind wandered to the entire reason she was stuck in the infirmary, healing like a mortal. The agents. They had seemed to be luring her out, clearly knowing that she would see them moving outside the window and follow them. _But why would they be trying to lure me into a trap? It’s Evie they want. She’s the one with the necklace._ It didn’t much make sense, and the only thing that made it believable was if they had found out about Evie’s protection. And even in that case, it was a long shot that they’d know it was her. _Unless…_ she stopped for a moment to mull the idea over; _unless they_ didn’t _know it was me._ They could have just as easily been hoping to unveil that information by seeing who followed them. _Fuck!_ Mal cursed herself for being so idiotic. _Of course they were testing it out. Of course they were trying to figure out who had taken out the first guys sent._ She reached up with her uninjured arm and rubbed both her brows. _I’m so stupid._

            So, they knew Evie had protection. And now, if those guys had had any sort of device attached to them that sent out a picture or likeness of Mal they all knew who that protection was. She blew out a heavy, irritated breath. _I can’t be careless anymore. I can’t even be the slightest bit careless. I can’t mess up anymore. Not now. I have to be constantly on guard from now on._ If they knew Evie had protection chances were that they would only send in larger amounts of agents to take out both the target _and_ the protection, meaning she had to completely change her tactics. _I have to protect myself as well as protect Evie;_ which would be a great deal more difficult, especially if they were ever lured into a trap that made her have to choose between Evie’s life, and her own. She just hoped it wouldn’t come to that because she had no doubt which life she would favor.

            And that decision would bring her entire mission crashing down into a pit of failure.

 

**_(Evie)_ **

Evie wandered aimlessly through the hallways and toward her locker, her body seeming to move habitually as her mind kept her from focusing on where she was going, her thoughts completely consumed by her roommate. _Why didn’t she come back to class? Where did she go off to so suddenly? Why did she even leave in the first place?_ It had taken less than a split-second for her to crave the girl’s presence after she had left, everything that had made her hopeful that it would be a strangely pleasant day tearing from her when the girl had disappeared.

            After stopping briefly to exchange the contents of her bag with the materials in her locker she moved on down the concrete pathway, completely ignoring the fact that Jay would be expecting to find her waiting for him. She went through the lunch-line fairly quickly due to the short period of time it had taken her to arrive, and before she knew it she was sitting down at her usual table, the only one present.

            Almost as if she were reliving the moment, a shadow pain coursed through her body, reminding her of the unbearable pain she had suffered from a little less than four hours ago. This reminder only brought something else to mind. _There was a moment, a brief moment, where the pain had lessened. Where it had almost seemed like it was dissipating._ And that moment had been when someone else’s hand had replaced Doug’s. _Mal._ No matter what she thought about her mind always seemed to end up in the same exact place; thinking about her new mysterious roommate. The pain had begun dissipating the very second Mal’s hand had come to rest on her shoulder, seeming to be drawn from her body in every area she could feel the girl’s body heat radiating onto her. It confused her, made her think; _was she somehow drawing the pain from my body?_ She shook her head at that thought, believing it just as ridiculous as the idea of a necklace warning her of nearby danger. _What is wrong with my head lately?_ She couldn’t seem to keep herself from delving to desperate matters in search of answers for everything she’d been experiencing. _She couldn’t have been drawing the pain from my body, it’s impossible._ But then she recalled how the pain had come crashing back worse than before when Mal had released her, only continuing to increase in intensity when the girl had chosen to leave the room. _Could she have had something to do with lessening the pain?_ She had only managed to confuse herself further.

            Before she could allow herself to dwell further on the situation the sound of multiple trays being set on the table yanked her from her overwhelming thoughts, and she looked up to find Doug and Jay. _Oh my goodness, Jay!_

            “What’s up today, Evie?” Jay asked before she could get out an apology. “You didn’t wait for me.”

            “I know, I’m so sorry,” Evie apologized quickly, shifting her body so she was facing the boy. “I just… I don’t know what happened. I got lost in my thoughts and forgot. I’m sorry.”

            “Chill,” Jay grabbed her shoulder, a rough laugh escaping his lips. “It’s cool. I just thought it was weird.”

            Evie calmed down a little knowing Jay wasn’t upset with her.

            “She had a rough first period,” Doug spoke up for her, his eyes studying her for any sign of the behavior she had exhibited in AP Chemistry. “Something seemed to be hurting her.”

            “Did you get hurt?” Jay questioned, suddenly becoming more alert. “No one hurt you, did they? Because I will…”

            Once again, Evie cut his threats short. “No one harmed me, Jay. I’m fine. I… I don’t know what was wrong, but it’s passed now, so we should just forget it ever happened.”

            “What if something’s seriously wrong with you?” Doug asked, the look he gave her almost cautious.

            “I’m fine,” Evie repeated, hardly being able to keep a sharp bite from her words.

            At that moment, Carlos joined them at the table with a heavy sigh, stealing all their attention away from Evie and toward him. Her usual greeting shoved itself back down her throat when she noticed the dark purple bruise on the boy’s jaw and another, smaller one, on his cheek. Jay was the first to speak.

            “What’s wrong with you?” Jay asked, studying the smaller boy. “You look like someone’s kicked Dude.”

            Carlos sent a brief glare his way before responding. “Nothing’s wrong with me, technically. I’ve just had a frightening day.”

            “What, are you afraid of your classes?” Jay joked, earning only a laugh from Doug; Evie and Carlos ignored the teasing.

            “What’s wrong, Carlos?” Evie questioned more seriously, well aware that Jay wasn’t going to stop joking around. “Where did those bruises come from?”

            “Something terrible happened…” Carlos paused for a moment, seeming to consider something. “You know, now that I think about it, it happened just outside your first period.”

            Evie swallowed the thick lump that formed in her throat at Carlos’ words, only to find that nothing seemed to clear her airway. “What happened?” Her voice cracked as she spoke.

            “I’m not entirely sure _how_ it happened, but this girl got seriously injured just outside the windows of the classroom next to yours,” Carlos started his explanation, stabbing mindlessly at his food with the fork he held loosely between his fingers. “Dude started barking and took off when I was getting a drink from the hallway fountain, and so I followed after him, trying to get him to slow down, at the least,” he paused, and Evie could tell he was definitely shaken by this event. “And when I found him again he was barking by a girl laying on the ground. When I got closer I noticed a large amount of blood, so I sent Dude to get help and Fairy Godmother and I ended up helping the girl to the hospital.”

            _Oh my… what happened to this girl?_ And that’s when a horrid thought entered her mind, causing her stomach to twist violently with a nauseous feeling, almost forcing her to hit the ground in order to empty the acid in her stomach. _What if…? No, no, please don’t let it be._ All she could think about was the fact that Mal had never returned to the classroom.

            “Do you know who it was?” Doug asked, beating Evie to the question that had been swirling around in her mind.

            “Yeah, somewhat,” Carlos answered, nodding lightly. “She was that girl I told you about the other day, you know, the one who was searching for Evie.”

            “Her name, Carlos,” Evie managed to choke out, his response only intensifying her fear.

            “Oh, um…” he had to think about it for a moment. “Fairy Godmother called her Mal. She said she was a new student.”

            _No, no, no, no, no._ Something reached into her chest and grabbed hold of her heart, squeezing with a vice-like grip as it twisted everything inside her in continuous circles. _I never even considered… she didn’t return to class because she was taken to the hospital._ Without a second thought, Evie pushed against the surface of the table until she was on her feet, making a move to leave the table without even eating. However, a hand grabbing hold of her wrist stopped her from moving any further than a few steps toward the infirmary.

            “Evie, don’t,” it was Doug, his grip loose enough to refrain from hurting her but tight enough to keep her where she stood. “You barely even know this girl, and there’s definitely something off about her.”

            “That’s exactly what you all thought about us when we first showed up,” Evie stated, finally letting her words out with a bite. “She’s my roommate, Doug, I have to check on her.”

            Pulling her wrist from Doug’s grip she moved away from the table more quickly this time, not giving the boy another chance to protest; though she did hear him saying something to the others. She didn’t care what they thought of her for doing this. Despite having only known the girl for three days Evie felt as though she were connected to Mal in an indescribable way, almost as if they shared something neither of them shared with anyone else, and she wasn’t about to leave the girl alone in a hospital bed to heal from wounds Carlos had said were serious.


	11. Chapter 11

**_(Evie)_ **

_What am I even doing?_

            Evie asked herself as she carefully pushed through the front doors of the infirmary, her movements slowed due to her slight hesitation. _What if she doesn’t want to see me? We barely even know each other. We’re not even technically friends._ She shook her head as she approached the front desk, telling herself that she was worrying too much about something so simple. _She’s my new roommate. I want to know if she’s okay after the accident. I’m just trying to make her feel welcome here in Auradon._ Personally, she knew how it felt to be one of the unwanted new students at the school, and she wanted to do everything in her power to keep her roommate from feeling as rejected as she and her friends had.

            “Excuse me?” Evie spoke clearly, getting the receptionist’s attention.

            “How may I help you, young lady?” The receptionist set down the folder he was searching through, bringing his focus to Evie.

            “I’m here to visit Mal…” Evie paused, realizing that she had no idea what the girl’s last name was. _I hope that won’t affect my getting in to see her._ “I’m here to visit Mal.”

            “Of course, our only patient currently,” the man nodded, shifting to his left to view something on the computer screen. “And… she seems to have no visitation restrictions, so go right on back, ma’am.”

            _Wow, that was simple._ “Thank you.”

            As she moved away from the counter and made her way to the open doors leading to the patient rooms she couldn’t help but think she was going to get in trouble despite the receptionist telling her she could head back. However, the second she stepped through the doors she found her worries switching paths again, traveling back down their original route. _She probably doesn’t even want to see me. What if she tells me to leave? What even happened in the first place? What kind of accident landed her in the hospital her third day in Auradon?_

            _Okay, Evie. Just breathe. Calm down. You don’t need to worry about every aspect of every situation. You don’t need to know everything._ Just as she was about to take a relaxing breath she found an unexpected calm washing over her body and warming her, the return of the desirable feeling causing her to stop abruptly to allow her entire body to be coated in the thick warmth. Instead of taking the relaxing breath she had originally intended to, she exhaled deeply in content.

            Pulling herself back into reality she glanced around to decipher her location, finding that she had been only a few steps from entering the room that was her destination. _Okay,_ she exhaled heavily, realizing that – despite the warmth spreading through her – she was still nervous; _here goes nothing._ Stepping through the room she glanced around to study her surroundings, noting that almost the entire infirmary wing was empty, every bed unused. _Except the one with the curtains drawn shut, I’d assume._ The sight only managed to worry her more. _Closed curtains means she doesn’t want to see anyone._ She sighed, shutting her eyes tightly; _I need to stop worrying so much._

            Moving closer to the closed curtains she pondered the best way to announce her presence without startling the girl she knew rested behind them, only to find herself jumping in surprise when the curtains were suddenly drawn back, revealing the person she had come for. Her heart felt as though it had completely stopped working the moment the girl’s bright-green eyes met her red-brown ones, and she found herself struggling for something to say. _What is wrong with me?_ She thought, internally cursing herself as she remained frozen externally; _I’m_ never _lost for words._

            “Hi,” Evie whispered, her voice barely audible.

            Luckily, with the abnormal silence of the room it would have been difficult not to hear her. However, the response she got wasn’t one she wanted.

            “I don’t need another visitor.”

            “Oh,” Evie breathed out sadly, trying her best not to seem upset by the harsh bite to the girl’s words. “Had a lot of those today?”

            “Definitely,” Mal answered, a heavy huff leaving her lips when she dropped back against the infirmary bed.

            But Evie wasn’t satisfied, she hadn’t gotten the answer she had come for and she wasn’t going to leave that easily. _She always seems tough to get through to. That shouldn’t chase me away._ In fact, it only seemed to be an incentive for her.

            “I heard about the accident.”

            Mal scoffed. “Yeah, accident. _That’s_ what it was.”

            “What happened?” Evie questioned, a whole world more confused than she had been when Carlos had told her about the accident.

            “Nothing you’d understand,” Mal replied, blowing out a heavy breath as she averted her gaze, seemingly no longer wishing to meet Evie’s.

            Evie inched closer to the side of the bed cautiously. “You’d be surprised just how much I do understand.”

            Mal’s gaze flickered back to her, and Evie could see the contemplation visible in the green of her eyes as the girl chewed on the inside of her lip in an internal debate. Not daring to look away from the powerful, luring look present in the girl’s eyes Evie found herself getting lost in the beauty of them once again, the only thing managing to distract her from this trance being the unfamiliar feeling taking refuge inside her head. _What the…? What is happening?_ She could feel a lure toward a shrill, unpleasant voice whispering in her ear, telling her that she didn’t want to know about what had happened to Mal, but she pushed it away. Fortunately, it took very little effort to shove the thoughts fully from her mind, and she soon found the strange feeling in her head dissipating quickly until she felt completely normal once again. _That was strange._ She watched in curiosity as a look of confusion settled in Mal’s features, wondering why the girl was staring at her so intently. _Well, Evie. You’re staring at her, too. It’s not like it’s weird,_ a brief pause; _is it?_

            “I got into a little fight,” Mal spoke softly, almost as if she were afraid she would scare Evie away if she spoke any louder.

            “And lost?” Evie questioned, feeling as though there was little doubt about the result of the fight.

            _She couldn’t have won. Carlos said she had lost a lot of blood, and that him and Fairy Godmother had to carry her here._ Her gaze slid quickly over the deep purple bruise and small line of stitches present on her left temple, their presence making it known that the girl had taken a hard blow to the head at some point. However, the rest of the girl’s body remained covered by one of the gowns the hospital handed out to their patients, the thin material simple to maneuver around for better access to whatever wounds needed caring. She couldn’t see what else had happened to the girl.

            “I never lose,” Mal stated fiercely, her eyes seeming to flash with a warning.

            “Right, so…” Evie glanced around the infirmary curiously, not sure what to believe; Mal had either won, or lost, and it honestly looked like she had lost. “The other person is in worse shape than you?”

            “I’d say so,” Mal let out a light laugh, one corner of her mouth quirking upward. “I mean, I’m not even _that_ bad, you preppy Auradon people just claim that I am.”

            Evie tried not to let the last portion bother her, but she was sure a flash of hurt in her eyes had signaled the girl, letting her know that her words had stung. “Well… as long as you’re not too terribly injured,” she paused, keeping her gaze from lifting to meet Mal’s. “I should just…”

            She trailed off, not seeming to have the strength to finish the sentence as she turned away from the girl and head for the door she had entered through. _You were right,_ she silently told the logical voice in her mind as she lowered her head to watch her feet, the worst posture she had ever walked with; _she didn’t want to see me._ She started doubting if this situation was anything like it had been with the villain kids, wondering if Doug had been right to doubt the girl, after all, Doug hadn’t been so quick to judge with her, Carlos, or Jay, he had been open to welcoming them. _Maybe Doug is right, maybe Mal is someone I shouldn’t try to be friends with. Maybe she’s nothing like us._

            “Evie, wait.”

            Evie stopped but didn’t turn around to face the girl, she didn’t want her to see the pain in her expression. She didn’t even know why she was so upset with the way Mal was acting, especially considering it was the behavior she exhibited the most, she just guessed that she had hoped the time they had spent together during the weekend had changed something. She wanted to be the one Mal felt comfortable with, wanted to be the one she came to for almost everything, and though she felt completely idiotic and ridiculous for feeling that way for a girl she literally met a few days ago she couldn’t bring herself to stop trying, to stop hoping.

            The silence spread for so long that Evie decided it would be best for her to just leave before she ended up making a complete fool of herself for actually waiting for such a lengthy period, however, the second she took another step toward the door Mal’s voice carried after her.

            “Stay with me.”

            Evie inhaled deeply, trying to keep her composure. “I don’t think that would be the best idea.”

            “ _Please_ , Evie,” Mal whispered, sounding almost vulnerable. “Please stay with me.”

            Something plunged into Evie’s chest and grabbed hold of her heart with an unrelenting grip, twisting until her entire body ached for the girl behind her. She didn’t know what made Mal change so suddenly and drastically, but she couldn’t ignore the girl, she just couldn’t bring herself to ignore the audible pain in the girl’s voice. And so, sighing heavily, Evie turned around and made her way back over to the bed, this time getting close enough to drop into the chair stationed beside the bed. Mal appeared uncomfortable and slightly embarrassed, and Evie wanted to do everything in her power to change that, but she had no idea how to go about comforting a girl who didn’t seem to want it. She chose to remain silent, sitting straight in the chair and keeping her gaze focused on her own hands, praying that her roommate would say something, _anything_ , to make her feel as though her company was actually desired.

            “Isn’t it lunch period?” Mal questioned quietly, her best attempt at starting a conversation.

            For some reason, Evie found it endearing and a little adorable how socially-awkward the girl seemed to be. “Yes, it is,” was all she said in response.

            “You came here to see me instead of getting lunch,” Mal stated more than asked, though Evie could tell the girl was still searching for further confirmation.

            “I came here instead,” Evie confirmed, nodding her head lightly. “As soon as I found out you were hurt.”

            “Why?” Mal asked bluntly, though – for once – there was no venom coating her voice.

            Evie shrugged, suddenly becoming embarrassed by how quick she had been to skip out on food and hurry to the infirmary. “I had to know you were alright.”

            “Why? You barely even know me,” Mal pointed out, seeming more curious than judgmental.

            “Is it so hard to believe that someone could care about you when you’re hurt?” Evie questioned, knowing that everyone here in Auradon would pray for anyone’s well-being.

            “Kind of, yeah,” Mal answered, her voice showing complete sincerity.

            Deciding to push passed her embarrassment she lifted her gaze from her hands to the girl in front of her to study her expression, finding that the pain that could be heard in her voice was completely invisible in her features. Mal didn’t seem vulnerable in the slightest, she didn’t seem to be hurting. There was no sign of anything being wrong present in her bright-green eyes, they were the same as they always were. It was like Mal constantly held a mask over her face to hide whatever she felt throughout her life, a solid mask sculpted from the finest metal ever to be seen, making it impossible to see through. If Evie wanted to get through that mask she only had two options; to break it, or to get Mal to take it off herself. And neither sounded particularly simple, but she knew that she was willing to struggle through anything if it meant she could make Mal understand that she wasn’t alone here in Auradon.

            “Well, I care about you, Mal,” Evie said softly, never taking her eyes from the hold Mal’s had on her. “And so does Carlos. It doesn’t matter how much you believe everyone’s against you, there will always be those few who would do anything to prove to you that you’re wrong,” as she spoke those words she couldn’t help but think of Lonnie, Ben, and Doug, the only three who had always believed in her, Carlos, and Jay. “Trust me, I know how it feels to think no one wants you around and to doubt those who actually do, but in the end, if all you do is doubt and push those people away everything you fear will come true because eventually people get tired of fighting.”

            Silence fell over them, spreading quickly through the room as all they did was stare into each other’s eyes, neither of them knowing what to say next. Fortunately – though Evie had a difficult time deciding if it was truthfully fortunate, or not – the sound of high-heeled shoes clicking against the floor sounded through the room, pulling them from the trance that had seemed to take control over both of them. Clearing her throat delicately, Evie shifted in her chair to glance over her shoulder at the person entering the room, a bright smile re-shaping her lips when she saw it was Belle.

            “Oh, good afternoon, Evie,” Belle smiled kindly at her before shifting her attention to Mal. “I just have to get a few things from the cupboards, then I’ll be back to change your bandages.”

            Smiling, Evie turned back around in her chair only to find the smile fading from her face when she saw the look on Mal’s face. Mal groaned audibly as she dropped her head against the bed forcefully – which Evie would have worried about if it hadn’t been a soft surface – her gaze trailing after Belle as she made her way over to the supply cupboards. Just as she was about to ask her what was wrong Mal’s eyes shifted to meet hers again, her hand shooting out to clasp onto Evie’s arm.

            “Get rid of her.”

            Evie’s eyes widened and she glanced over at the kind woman. “What?”

            “Please get rid of her,” Mal pleaded with her for the second time within a single hour, her hand squeezing Evie’s arm in attempt to regain her attention.

            “I… I don’t get it,” Evie said as she listened to Mal’s urging and shifted to look at her. “She’s taking care of you, isn’t she?”

            “I know, that’s the problem,” Mal stated, her light-green eyes boring into Evie’s red-brown. “Please just… can you get her to leave?”

            Normally, Evie would have immediately refused to grant this favor, however, the way Mal was looking at her, the way her eyes shun with desperation and hope, broke her down quickly. So she gently removed Mal’s hand from her arm and squeezed it reassuringly before rising from her seat to approach Belle.

            “Excuse me, Your Highness,” Evie spoke quietly, not exactly wanting Mal to overhear the conversation despite being the reason it was happening in the first place.

            “Oh, Evie, we’ve been over this,” Belle started, her friendly smile making Evie feel guilty for something she hadn’t even done, yet. “Call me Belle.”

            “Right,” Evie forced out a light laugh as she went through several possibilities of how to go about this task. “Well, it turns out… well, you see…”

            “Does Mal want you to change her bandages instead of me?” Belle asked, seemingly seeing straight through Evie while managing to read the situation in a way that made it seem better.

            Evie decided to go with it, once again hoping Mal couldn’t hear them. “Yes, would that be an issue?”

            “Of course not, dear,” Belle reassured, holding out the basket of gauze and bandaging. “You’ll need these items plus…” she trailed off, reaching into the drawer below the cupboard and producing a large tube of ointment. “This. Spread a generous amount of this on each open wound until they’re completely covered, then hold the gauze to her body while you wrap the tape. Not loose enough to slip down from the area it’s needed, but not tight enough to cut off her circulation.”

            “Got it,” Evie breathed out in relief, feeling better about the situation now that it seemed less inconsiderate. “I’m sorry for…”

            Belle held up her hand to silence her. “No need to apologize, Evie. Friends are always more comfortable with each other than with nurses.”

            _Friends?_ Evie liked the sound of that. Smiling from the thought of people believing she and Mal were friends Evie thanked Belle once more before turning to head back to the bedside. Setting the items down on the chair she had occupied earlier she watched Mal’s eyes follow Belle until she could no longer be seen, noting the sigh of relief that moved through her body the second the woman had left the room. _What’s your issue with Belle, huh?_ She couldn’t find the nerve to actually ask the girl, so she simply settled for imagining what the answer could be; and she ended up deciding that it was merely psychological. Clearly, Mal only disliked Belle because of the pain the woman had caused her while cleaning and bandaging the wounds for the first time. She knew it most likely wasn’t the reason, but it was the one she’d stick with until she managed to build up the courage to get the actual one.

            “Thank you.”

            That surprised her, though she wasn’t entirely sure why, she just didn’t really picture Mal as the type of person who voiced how grateful they were. Now, she knew that she had been wrong in assuming that.

            “You’re welcome,” Evie replied, gaze falling to the basket of supplies briefly before she brought her eyes to lock with Mal’s. “Now, let’s get your bandages changed.”

            “How about we don’t,” Mal disagreed immediately.

            Evie’s eyebrows knit together in confusion. “You’re going to have to explain to me how leaving on your current bandages when it’s time to switch them out with fresh ones is a good plan.”

            Mal shrugged. “I can’t explain that because it’s impossible, it’s a stupid plan, really.”

            “You’ve lost me,” Evie stated, utterly confused as to what was going on in Mal’s mind at the moment. _I’m never going to figure this girl out, am I?_

            “You see, what if I don’t need new ones?” Mal posed the question messily, making it obvious that she was simply making things up as she spoke.

            Evie stared at Mal for a moment, highly confused as to what kind of game she was attempting to play, but she did know that she wasn’t about to join. “Sit up.”

            “Not working, huh?” Mal questioned, letting out a light laugh as she used her left arm to push herself into a sitting position. “It was worth a shot.”

            Somehow knowing that Mal was finished arguing Evie reached down to retrieve the supply basket only to stand back up – basket in hand – when she felt something brush against the outside of both her legs. Mal had shifted to the edge of the bed and slid her legs off, the action placing her legs on either side of Evie’s hips. She thought nothing of it, figuring it was the best angle for her to reach the wounds, and she quickly found out that she had been correct in this assumption when Mal brought her hand up to the material gathered around her neck, pulling it until it was instead gathered around her waist.

            Evie found her mind beginning to swim seconds after she allowed her gaze to fall to the bandaging covering the entirety of Mal’s ribcage and abdomen, the pure-white material tainted dark-red by the blood soaking through. Her knees weakened substantially and her stomach threatened to make an unwelcome appearance. _Oh my goodness,_ she swallowed thickly to force the rising bile back down her throat. _This is… you’re okay, Evie. You’re fine. It’s just a little blood._ She breathed deeply, shutting her eyes for a brief moment in attempt to regain control over her own body. _For goodness sake, Evie, you can’t even see the wounds!_ But that only managed to make her stomach twist more violently at the idea of what she would find underneath the blood-soaked bandages.

            “You okay?” Mal questioned, searching Evie’s eyes for a hint at what was happening.

            Evie nodded. “Mmhm.”

            _I am definitely_ not _okay._ But she forced herself to get passed her issues in order to help someone in more need; she would try it for anyone if they needed help, but because it was Mal she was determined to successfully make it passed this obstacle.

            “I don’t believe you,” Mal stated, reaching up to slide her hand over Evie’s cheek and angle her face down, forcing their eyes to lock. “Your eyes are dilated. You’re about to pass out.”

            Mal’s statement had been true seconds before she had made it, however, Evie found her mind clearing and her stomach settling the moment Mal’s hand slid to caress her cheek. Instead, she found herself focusing more on the tingling sensation that swirled through her cheek where her skin made contact with Mal’s. It wasn’t until she saw the girl’s body tense that a completely insane idea that she had already shot down returned to the front of her mind. _Is she…?_ Not thinking twice about it Evie reached up to slide her hand over Mal’s, lacing their fingers together as she pulled their now joined hands away from her cheek and glanced down at the girl’s ribcage again. Strangely enough, the feeling of faint crashed back into her immediately, forming lines in her vision as it slowly darkened around the edges. _Here we go…_

            Her knees buckled but she found her palms connecting with the infirmary bed on either side of Mal’s body, the remainder of her conscious mind working to keep her alert. She took a moment to compose herself, only realizing that she had been resting her head on Mal’s shoulder when her mind had cleared. Taking a deep breath, she straightened up, this time purposefully keeping her gaze from lowering to the girl’s ribcage. _I can handle this. I can. I’ve got this._

            “Evie…”

            “I’m fine,” Evie stopped Mal from telling her what she knew the girl was going to say.

            “No, you’re not,” Mal tried again, but Evie merely ignored her.

            Reaching into the basket she pulled out the ointment Belle had given her, struggling to keep her mind from mulling over what had just happened with her inability to handle other people’s blood. However, when she couldn’t keep her mind from wandering back to one specific part she decided that she needed to distract herself with something entirely different, hoping that it would not only stop her from freaking herself out, but also distract her from what she was doing and therefore keep her from fainting. _If my mind is focused on something else, maybe I won’t react as terribly,_ she debated the idea shortly before adding onto it; _or say something stupid._ It was worth a try.

            “You don’t have to do this, you know, you’re not the nurse,” Mal told her, fingers manipulating the material beneath her fingers where her hands had been resting firmly since Evie had pulled one of them away from her face.

            “Yeah? Well, you didn’t want the nurse to do it and it needs to be done before you get an infection,” Evie deadpanned, sighing shortly after, upset with herself for letting the near-fainting mishap dampen her mood. She softened her voice, deciding that a conversation would be the most intelligent way to go about distracting herself. “Can you please remove the bandage?”

            Mal searched her eyes for a brief moment before nodding lightly and dropping her gaze to her own torso to unwrap the ruined bandage. Evie winced at the fast, harsh way the girl tore the bandage from her own body, having to remind herself that it wasn’t her issue.

            “You know, you should _really_ remove it more slowly next time,” Evie suggested cautiously, not sure whether the girl would laugh at her, or not.

            “Bother you?” Mal questioned, glancing up from her own body to meet Evie’s gaze, her eyebrow quirked with amusement.

            Evie nodded despite knowing she shouldn’t. “You could re-open a wound by removing the bandage too quickly.”

            “Noted,” Mal nodded in acknowledgement. “Nothing I can’t handle, though.”

            “You like to pretend you’re tough, don’t you?” Evie questioned playfully, hoping that it would rile the girl up enough to keep her distracted for the rest of the operation.

            “Pretend?” Mal scoffed lightly, though Evie could tell she was more amused than insulted. “I assure you, it’s _not_ an act.”

            “Really?” Evie’s mouth curved upward as she unscrewed the cap on the ointment. “I haven’t seen you do anything particularly impressive _and_ you’re in the hospital currently. Explain your view to me, though, I’d be glad to be enlightened.”

            “You just weren’t there to see the impressive bits,” Mal explained easily, gesturing to the tube. “You want me to do that?”

            “Sure,” Evie didn’t put up a fight, well aware that it would be much easier if Mal applied the ointment to the injuries, especially since Belle had mentioned they were still open. “I’ll just do the wrapping part, then.”

            As Mal focused on applying the ointment to her wounds Evie purposefully diverted her attention from the girl’s movements, knowing that if she looked directly at the open wounds she’d hit the ground before either of them could take another breath. _Please don’t be that bad._ She prayed that the girl wasn’t in that much pain despite the description Carlos had given her. When she felt something brushing over her fingers she glanced down at her hand to find the girl plucking the cap from her grasp to place it back on the tube, trying to ignore the electric feeling that shot up her arm when their fingers touched.

            “I’ll find a way to impress you,” Mal spoke again, picking up the conversation where they had trailed off. “You’ll see.”

            Shaking her head in amusement, Evie tried to hide her smile from the girl by ducking her head as she retrieved the new roll of bandaging, however, she only had to lift her head back up when she found herself lacking in other ways to stall. She handed the packages that kept the fresh gauze pads sealed to the girl, hoping she would use them to cover her wounds so she didn’t have to do it. Luckily, Mal tore the package open and unfolded the pads inside, maneuvering her good arm so that she could hold the gauze to her side.

            “Do you not believe me?” Mal questioned, and Evie found it slightly strange that – this time – it was Mal trying to keep the conversation alive.

            “Oh, no, I believe you,” Evie finally replied as she unrolled the bandaging. “I’m just wondering why you want to impress me.”

            Mal shrugged in response. “I honestly have no idea why, but I do.”

            Not knowing how to respond Evie brought her arms around Mal’s body, one end of the bandage held tightly in her left hand as she leaned forward to execute the action more easily. Bringing her left hand forward to press the end gently into Mal’s side where the girl held the gauze she began winding the rest of the bandage around her torso until the opposite end slid into her hand.

            “Maybe it’s because you’re doing this for me,” Mal spoke suddenly, her exhaled breath tickling Evie’s ear.

            Not understanding what she meant Evie hummed in question, not glancing up at the girl as she pulled the strip that read, ‘ _TEAR HERE’,_ before pressing the bandage into Mal’s back to get it to stick to itself. However, it didn’t seem to be working as it should, so she brought the end back around to look at it more closely and figure out what was wrong.

            “You faint when you see other people’s blood,” Mal more stated than asked, and Evie tried her best not to be fazed by the feeling of the girl’s breath hitting the corner of her mouth as she studied the bandage. “Yet you’re still dressing my wounds.”

            “I still don’t see what you’re implying,” Evie announced when Mal hadn’t continued after a minute.

            “Maybe I want to spend my time trying to impress you because you’re doing this for me _despite_ the fact that blood bothers you,” Mal clarified, shrugging her shoulders as if the idea were completely casual.

            Evie shook her head; half in disbelief, half in amusement. “You don’t have to do anything for my benefit. You technically don’t even have to talk to me,” though she would never complain about how much the girl seemed to want to talk to her at the moment. “I’m doing this because you need it and you made me send off the only other person around to do it. So please, don’t feel like you need to waste your time trying to impress me.”

            “I wouldn’t call it a waste of my time, Princess.”

            At this, Evie couldn’t help but look up, wanting to search the girl’s eyes for the sign that would let her know Mal was messing with her. That was the moment she realized just how close she had been leaning toward the girl, the feeling of her roommate’s breath dancing across her lips causing her heart to accelerate to an unsteady, erratic beat. _Your eyes are so beautiful._ It’s what she almost said, but didn’t due to fear of how the girl would react. Instead, she lost herself in the bright-green of Mal’s eyes, the look present in them reeling her in until she felt she’d never be able to look away.

            _What are you thinking?_ Evie wondered as she threw herself into the girl’s eyes, trying to search deeper than the surface in order to figure out the things Mal found important enough to keep at the front of her mind, however, no matter how hard she tried she couldn’t make sense of anything. Mal seemed devoid of any emotion, not even her usual temper making an appearance, yet somehow she could feel that there was a whole different layer unseen, a layer she kept hidden from the entire world. And Evie wanted to reach that layer, wanted to study it the way she studied textbooks, she just couldn’t figure out how to even begin searching for it. Mal never gave her a second of surety; when she had first believed the girl was someone she usually avoided, she turned everything around by acting toward her in a way she didn’t seem to behave with anyone else; when she had believed Mal was scared of being unwanted, the girl had made her believe she didn’t want anyone to take care of her; and just when she had finally started believing that she should truly believe Doug about leaving her alone, she had witnessed a side of the girl she had never seen before. The girl was a mystery that left Evie more confused than she had ever been before.

            “Are you going to finish the wrap, or not?”

            Mal’s voice yanked her from her trance, pulling her back into a reality where she was staring into the girl’s eyes, completely immobile instead of working to finish bandaging her. _And there it is._ The moment that changed everything around once again, the venom present in the girl’s voice making her question why she had ever believed there was something more to her than the tough exterior. As she dropped her gaze to the bandage still clasped in her hand she felt her cheeks heating with embarrassment, and she found herself hoping that she hadn’t been staring too long; a false hope, most likely, given the way Mal had gotten her attention. Pushing every thought about the girl’s masked emotions from her mind she remembered that she hadn’t been able to find what was wrong with the wrap, so she decided to simply tuck it into the layer beneath it and tie it off.

            She cleared her throat awkwardly. “There you go.”

            Without thinking about it Evie moved her hands to unwrap the bandaging around Mal’s arm, peeling it off slowly until the wounds underneath were revealed. _That’s…_ she had to take a moment to breathe deeply; _that’s not so bad._ It wasn’t nearly as bad as she assumed the girl’s side was, and she was able to push passed it – though her vision did begin fading as she applied the ointment.

            “I could have done that,” Mal whispered just before Evie ripped open the packaging to receive the gauze, her voice softer than before.

            “I know,” Evie stated, keeping her reply short for fear of saying something that would only make the girl fall back into her usual venomous state.

            Luckily, Mal didn’t say anything else.

            Once she was done bandaging the girl’s arm she collected the created trash into the basket and moved away from the bed, throwing the torn packages in the designated bin before carefully placing the basket back into the cupboard. She remained standing there for longer than she had originally meant to, fingers clasped around the handle of the cupboard as she exhaled slowly, trying to convince herself that she shouldn’t be so effected by the girl.

            “Thank you,” Mal’s voice sounded from behind her.

            She nodded in acknowledgment. “It really wasn’t a problem.”

            “Really?” Mal questioned, her voice lacking the playful tone it had possessed earlier. “Because it seems like it was.”

            “Forget about how I feel about blood…”

            “I’m not talking about that,” Mal interrupted her.

            Despite her mind screaming at her not to Evie turned her head so that she could look at the girl, finding that her eyes locked with the green orbs she couldn’t seem to get out of her head. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

            Surely there was no way the girl could have known the things she was thinking, the way she was feeling, however, when she thought back to the insanity of her ill reaction to blood draining from her body when Mal had touched her she found herself with another ridiculous thought. _What, are you a mind-reader, as well?_ Though, this time, she thought it more sarcastically.

            She watched as Mal chewed on the inside of her lip, already knowing that the quirk meant she was debating whether or not something was a good idea. _What? What are you holding back?_ Evie wondered silently, but found herself too scared to actually ask the girl, something that seemed to be becoming a habit. It was visible through the girl’s eyes that she was holding something in, keeping the thoughts part of her desperately wanted her to announce locked away in her mind; but Evie didn’t push her, especially since she was doing the exact same thing with her own thoughts. She wanted to say; _if you want me to leave, just say so. I will. If you want me to stop trying to become your friend, just tell me. I’ll leave you alone. If you want me to stay, say something. I will. Please tell me what you’re thinking. Please tell me how you’re feeling._ A soft sigh traveled through her body and escaped through her lips; _because it’s impossible to read you like I know you can read me._

            But all the girl said was; “I should probably get some sleep.”

            Evie nodded to show her agreement, knowing that sleep was one of the main processes to healing properly. When Mal shifted onto her side – facing away from her – she finally closed the cupboard doors, leaning her forehead against it as she shut her eyes tightly and prayed that all of this had been a nightmare.

            Part of her wanted to give up on everything, to run away from the infirmary and never speak to Mal again; but a stronger portion of her throbbed painfully at just the thought of erasing the girl from her life. _Why does this girl mean so much to me?_ She had no idea what to do. She had been thrown into a roaring ocean with no idea how to swim; she was grasping for life-boats that weren’t even there, their presence only in her imagination; she was hopelessly lost in the twisting maze that was the mysterious Mal. She wanted to solve the puzzle, to escape the maze, but at the same time she wanted to lie down and stay there until someone found her. _She doesn’t want me. She doesn’t even want me around most of the time,_ the only exception being the conversation leading up to the path where Evie had willingly dove off the edge.

            She hadn’t wanted Mal to feel alone being the new girl in Auradon Prep, but it seemed that the girl didn’t want anything anyone was offering to her; she hadn’t wanted Carlos to help her, she hadn’t wanted Belle to help her, she hadn’t wanted Evie to help her. Mal was a lone-wolf that fought away anyone who stepped within fifty-feet of her territory, and Evie was the hopelessly lost rabbit that dared step further in. She hadn’t wanted Mal to feel unwanted, but now she was the one who had been impaled by the jagged sword of it.

            And it was because she had thrown herself onto the blade willingly.


	12. Chapter 12

**_(Mal)_ **

_The cold rippled through her tiny body as the bite of winter finally plunged its sharpened claws into the small town, the darkness throwing an increased intensity of the freezing weather over everyone currently on the streets. She watched as everyone else hurried through the cramped and dirty streets, desperate to get inside their homes where they could be consumed by artificial heat, thoughts creeping to the front of her mind that threatened to drive her mad._ Why can’t things be like that for us? _It was the question that most often invaded her mind, but one she had learned to never vocalize due to the reaction she received every time she had in the past._

_Afraid of bringing herself into a mental state that led her to breaking down into tears she turned her back on the rest of the town visible to her eye, forcing her legs to carry her back to the area she called home. Down a haunted looking alley, through a break in the wall of a destroyed, abandoned building, and under an archway that led into a room that didn’t know what a ceiling was. That was her home._

_If she had the choice she would run away from that place, find somewhere else with less brutality; somewhere that kept the frost-bitten wind from attaching to her body like a second skin; somewhere that shielded her from the scorching rays of the sun whenever it made an appearance; somewhere that guaranteed she would live without having to put in so much exhausting effort. But she didn’t have that choice, she needed her companion, and she knew she had no chance of living without her._

_“Mom?” She breathed the question into the air, nearly wincing at the visibility of her breath._

_Stepping into the main room she found her mother lounging across the broken stones of the building, appearing completely unfazed by the sting of the winter. The second her mother sent a glare as icy as the streets directly her way she cringed, taking a few steps back to hide behind the pillar of the archway, afraid of her mother’s wrath._

_“What have I told you about using that name with me?”_

_“Sorry,” her voice was barely audible._

_Another pointed look and she added; “Sorry, Maleficent.”_

_Her mother had been great and powerful in the shining point of her life, but after facing defeat she had crumpled into the woman she was today, the only person fearing her being her only daughter. Still, she envied her mother, wishing she had the same powers as her; the unlimited magic, the ability to transform into a dragon, she wanted it all. Though she often found herself wondering whether the ability to change into a dragon was more dangerous than it was helpful, her mother not being able to stop herself from transforming whenever her anger reached limits set in place for it, therefore placing her in danger if she was too close when it happened._

_“There you go, child,” Maleficent said before muttering the last bit under her breath. “I don’t know how such a weak child is my daughter.”_

_The words stung, but she had heard them enough to know how to twist them into meaning something completely different, though she could never manage to believe her own lies most of the time. She was a disgrace to her mother, to everyone, she knew that – she accepted that – but she ignored the venomous words her mother spat at her because she needed her to survive. She supposed that was what made her weak._

_“Is there anything to eat?” She asked cautiously, stepping back into the room, her stomach rumbling from two days without food._

_“Not anymore,” Maleficent cackled, focused more on swinging her staff than her daughter._

_All she heard was that there_ was _food, at least at some point. “You managed to get something to eat? What was it?”_

 _“Why does it matter? It wasn’t for_ you _,” Maleficent spat the pronoun out as if she were something disgusting she had stepped in._

_“I just…”_

_“My god, child,” Maleficent waved her over to her. “Come here.”_

_She didn’t dare disobey her mother._

_The second she stood in front of her mother she found her mind locked in a cage of Maleficent’s creation, the familiar pull on her head telling her that she was about to be silenced. Maleficent’s eyes began to glow green, and she knew hers looked the same as her mother influenced the way she was thinking, altering her mind completely._

_“Go to sleep and stop pestering me, you disappointment.”_

_There was nothing she could do to fight the magic now coursing through her body, and once Maleficent let go of her gaze she made her way over to the corner she was forced to sleep in. Laying down, she curled into a helpless ball, a desperate attempt to keep herself warm through the night that she knew wouldn’t work; that didn’t stop her from trying, though._

_A sound woke her in the middle of the night, alerting her to the semi-frozen state of her body and the ache of her teeth from the way she had been grinding them together in her sleep. Through blurred vision she could see the shape of her mother moving toward the arch._

_“Where are you going?” She asked, figuring her mother was going to search for food as she often did during the night._

_“Somewhere better,” Maleficent spat, glancing over her shoulder as a wicked smile re-shaped her lips._

_Her chest tightened._ Somewhere better? Why wouldn’t she wake me? _And then, as Maleficent swooped from the room with her robes dragging behind her, reality crashed into her._ Somewhere better. Somewhere without me. _An unbearable pain that beat everything else she had felt tore through her chest, making her completely forget about the way her body was halfway to freezing, and she pushed herself to her feet robotically. She moved slowly passed the arch and through the broken wall before her body finally gave out on her, sending her body crashing to the frozen concrete._

_“Mom?” She could see her mother, back turned to her as she retreated._

_Maleficent stopped, turning to meet her gaze with a dangerous glint lighting her eyes. “You’re not my child. You are weak and you are useless. You’re a pathetic excuse for existence.”_

_Just like that, her mother turned and disappeared into the streets as if she hadn’t spent six years in the same broken building; as if she hadn’t seen that alley before in her life; as if she had never had a daughter. And she was forced to watch her leave, her frost-bitten body unable to follow after the one thing keeping her alive._

********

The bland ceiling of the infirmary revealed itself to Mal as she woke from her haunting sleep, a memory that had been blocked from her mind for years finally breaking from its cage to squirm its way back into her. _Maleficent? My mother is Maleficent._ She knew the stories; she knew the tale of Sleeping Beauty. She had just never thought she was distantly tied to it.

            Typically, Mal would question what had brought the memory crashing back into her mind after so many years of her not being able to recall anything about her mother no matter how hard she tried to, but she was well aware of what had done it. She remembered everything that had happened earlier that day; every action, every thought, every feeling.

            Though she wished she didn’t, she remembered the horrid feeling that had iced over her heart when she had been forced to stare at Evie’s back while the girl made to leave her alone, a feeling she had experienced before – though she hadn’t known that until after she had felt it with Evie. She had been terrified of the idea that Evie wouldn’t return to her, terrified that she was about to be left on her own for the second time in her life. She had been terrified that the door of the infirmary had held a portal that would rip the girl from her life once she had stepped through it, and the thought of losing Evie had filled her with the worst feeling she had ever experienced; even worse than when she had watched her mother leave.

            Blowing out a heavy breath she cursed herself silently, hating the fact that she had allowed herself to become so vulnerable. She hated how weak she had seemed when calling Evie back to her, despised the fact that one girl she barely knew was capable of breaking her down with such simplicity. _Weak. Useless. Hopeless. Forgotten. Unloved._ She shut her eyes tightly, willing the words to disappear from the front of her mind. _Weak. Useless. Hopeless. Forgotten. Unloved._ She wouldn’t allow herself to be weak. There were more things she could do than most other people. She didn’t need hope because it was a sign of weakness. Those who had forgotten her weren’t worth her time. She didn’t need love because it was the ultimate weakness.

            However, those words didn’t reassure her as they did every other time she recited them to herself. Still, as she relived the moment Evie had been leaving the infirmary, she couldn’t stop the invisible knife from slicing through her chest. She couldn’t help view it as though Evie had been walking away from her forever while giving her one last chance to prove herself, and she had found herself fearing that she would never be enough for the girl. It hadn’t been until the dream that Mal realized it was because it had been what her mother was doing, giving her one last chance to prove that she could be something other than a disappointment, something other than a disgrace. Her mother had wanted her to be cruel, she had wanted her to be vicious and malevolent. She hadn’t understood that then, she had been nothing more than a vulnerable and broken child without a home; but she could see it with perfect clarity now. _Am I the person you wanted me to be now, Mother? Or am I still nothing more than a disappointment?_ She thought those words bitterly, unsure as to why she was – after all these years – effected by her mother’s abandonment.

            Something moved delicately against her left arm, pushing the frantic and bitter thoughts from her mind and replacing them with confusion and curiosity. When she turned her head to glance down at her uninjured arm her heart accelerated to a beat that had her chest throbbing, what she found creating an overwhelming confliction of emotions. _She stayed?_ Evie remained seated in the chair stationed beside her bed, the only difference being that the girl was now sleeping, her head resting on Mal’s upper arm while her fingers bent around the tattoo printed into her forearm. _She stayed._ Now that she had registered the girl’s body-heat radiating onto her she felt a pleasurable warmth spreading through her body, slowing her heart until it was no longer pounding against her ribcage – though its beat still remained faster than normal.

            However, this pleasurable sensation didn’t last long enough for her, the feeling instead being forced out of its settlement by a harsher, less welcome one. Her mind flooded with the thoughts she had somehow heard from the girl earlier when they had been locked in each other’s eyes. Tearing her gaze from the sleeping girl she found her teeth digging painfully into her bottom lip as she tried desperately to fight off the thoughts, pleading with herself to not care as much as she did. It seemed to be a hopeless battle on her front, her mind continuing to remind her of everything she had felt coming from Evie during that time, the thoughts bombarding her with a relentless force. _She didn’t want to stay with you. She wished she hadn’t been roped into helping you re-bandage yourself. She didn’t even remember why she had come to see you in the first place. She doesn’t care about you. She wouldn’t care if you had died in the attack._ Remembering that Evie had felt these things set an alarm off in her head just as it had during the vulnerable moment, except this time she couldn’t cover her pain in venomous words. The thoughts bombarded her with a relentless force, forcing her to squeeze her eyes shut as she felt a prickling heat. _No!_ She shouted at her own mind. _It was her idea to be the one to change my bandages. She said she cared about me, and that no matter how hard I try to deny it that it wouldn’t change the fact that she still cared._

            When she managed to pry her eyes open she couldn’t stop herself from glancing back down at the sleeping girl, and she found that the longer she stared at the girl the more the violent thoughts dissipated. Eventually, she was left with a clear mind, and she quickly went to wipe the tears from her eyes, wincing when pain shot up through her shoulder and down through her arm. _For fuck’s sake, Mal. You_ don’t _cry. What has gotten into you lately?_ She had no idea, but she hoped it would end soon.

            Breathing deeply, she allowed herself to continue staring at the girl using her arm as a pillow, finding that she wasn’t capable of looking away. _If she hadn’t wanted to stay earlier, why would she still be here with me when she could have easily left when I had fallen asleep?_ Still, she had felt the thoughts and emotions coursing through Evie when she had been looking into her breathtaking eyes, searching for something that would let her know what the girl was thinking only to figure out that she hadn’t wanted to know. _No, that can’t be…_ she paused, growing even more confused; _I may not know her that well, but I definitely know she would never think such cruel things._

            Just then, as if commanding her attention, a low throbbing inside the mattress caught her attention, drawing her gaze from the girl’s face and to the bed directly beside her own wrist. There, the necklace encasing Evie’s neck rested, a small light blinking to the same beat as the throbbing of the bed. That’s when a baffling idea crashed into her. _The necklace… could it have something to do with the things I heard? Could it have possibly been tricking me into believing Evie didn’t like me?_ It would sound utterly ridiculous if she didn’t already know the background of the necklace, its ancient roots. _How powerful are you?_

            Once again, Evie stirred against her arm, and she quickly brought her gaze back to the girl in fear that she was waking, however, she remained sleeping. As she took in the peaceful expression on the girl’s face her mind wandered back to the idea of the necklace tricking her into doubting Evie, only this time it somehow managed to take a more pleasant turn. _Could the necklace be telling me the exact opposite of whatever Evie’s thinking and feeling?_ She immediately tried not to let the idea excite her, but it was to no avail. Something inside her fluttered at the thought of Evie feeling the exact opposite of everything the necklace had told her. _But the opposite of hatred is… no. No, she doesn’t feel that way for me. No one ever will._ So maybe the necklace wasn’t telling her the exact opposite, but she still wondered if it had been purposefully lying to her about how the girl felt about her, and she couldn’t help but question why an ancient artifact would lie in a way that would force her to hate the girl. Though part of her quickly took to reminding her that she probably wouldn’t be capable of hating the girl even if she did the worst imaginable thing to her; there was just something about the girl that lured her in, something that made her wonder if the world was different from the way she had perceived it her entire life.

            And, almost as if some unseen force was controlling her, she lifted her right arm and slowly brought her fingers to slide over unusually soft blue hair, finding that she enjoyed the feeling more than she probably should. Threading her fingers gently through Evie’s hair a small smile forced its way onto her face, her heart fluttering unfamiliarly.

            “What is it about you, huh?” Mal found herself whispering, the words slipping from her lips before she even knew what was happening.

            Eyelids fluttered and fingers wrapped around her forearm, but Mal continued combing through the girl’s hair, her fingers only coming to a halt when red-brown eyes appeared to meet her gaze. Panic seared through her and she quickly freed the girl’s hair from her grasp, dropping her arm back to her side and ignoring the fact that the quick movement increased the pain traveling through her arm. Despite the fact that she had decided the necklace was at fault for the things she felt radiating from Evie earlier she found herself terrified of what would happen next, fearing that the girl would react poorly to waking with her fingers thread into her hair.

            “What time is it?” Evie questioned, her voice deeper from just waking.

            Mal opened her mouth to say that she had no idea, but those words got lost on the way to her mouth. “You stayed.”

            Evie didn’t seem to mind, though; she simply nodded. “I stayed.”

            “Why?”

            “I just… well, I just think that no one should be left to deal with something like this by themselves,” Evie answered honestly, pressing her cheekbone into Mal’s arm. “I want you to know that you’re not alone here in Auradon.”

            Every ounce of panic drained from Mal’s body after hearing the girl’s response, her heart reacting in ways she was extremely unfamiliar with. The small smile returned to her face as she kept her gaze locked with Evie’s. Something shifted inside her and it was as if she only just realized that Evie was being completely honest with her; and somehow – despite any doubt that remained swirling through her mind – she understood that Evie wasn’t only staying with her because she was injured. There was something more to it, something that Mal didn’t quite understand.

 

**_(Evie)_ **

Something felt incredibly right about everything in that moment; the way the girl’s arm felt underneath her cheek, the way their eyes were locked together softly, and the way they spoke to each other. It was almost as if they were both at their most comfortable in each other’s presence, which – strangely enough – seemed extremely possible to Evie despite the fact that they had only met on Saturday.

            The doubt she had been feeling about her situation with the girl when Mal had first gone to sleep had completely vanished the second she had opened her eyes, the feeling of Mal’s fingers gently stroking her hair being the thing that had woken her. Though she thoroughly enjoyed feeling certain about the girl she wondered if it would last, well aware that every other time she had believed she had made progress with the girl she went directly back to acting as though she could barely stand her; and all she wanted was for Mal to trust and like her. Despite her surety that she wanted to be close to the girl she still had no idea why she wanted it so badly, and she had to wonder if it was simply because of how unnaturally beautiful Mal was. But at the same time she knew that attraction wasn’t all it was, there was something else present, something between them that made her feel as though they were meant to find each other. And here they were; her head resting on the girl’s arm while their eyes remained locked together, and she wasn’t going to easily forget the brief moment where Mal’s fingers had been tangled in her hair.

            “Did you stay here the entire time?” Mal questioned, the softness of her voice nearly surprising Evie.

            Evie nodded in response, not wishing to say anything for fear of scaring Mal back into her closed-off, venomous behavior. Lifting her head so that she could glance at the clock she rested her chin on the girl’s arm instead of her cheek, not yet ready to interrupt the contact between them. _6:34PM. It’s still Monday?_ She released a heavy breath through her nose; _wow, today has been a really long day._

            “You haven’t eaten anything,” Mal stated more than asked.

            This time, Evie shook her head.

            “You need to eat something.”

            “So do you,” Evie retorted gently, bringing her gaze back to meet Mal’s and finding the girl chewing on the inside of her lip; _she always seems to be doing that._ “I could go get us something.”

            “You’ve done enough for me already,” as Mal spoke she averted her gaze, beginning to manipulate the material beneath her with the fingers of her bandaged arm.

            “Don’t be silly,” Evie smiled brightly at the purple-haired girl, squeezing the area of the girl’s arm beneath her fingers. “It was my suggestion. Besides, I’d be getting food for _both_ of us, therefore I wouldn’t be going out of my way for you. It’d be for the both of us. And either way, I don’t mind doing things for you. I kind of like it, truthfully.”

            It wasn’t a lie, but she was babbling.

            Mal arched her eyebrow, glancing back at her. “You’re strange, you know that, right?”

            “Isn’t everyone strange in their own little ways?” Evie questioned, arching her eyebrow as well; a sort of challenge. “I bet you have quirks that other people would find strange.”

            “Nope,” Mal shook her head, and although she clearly attempted to hide the way the corners of her mouth quirked upward, Evie still saw the smile. “I’m perfectly normal. Nothing strange about me.”

            “And I’m sure you truly believe that, but of course you’d find yourself completely normal,” Evie couldn’t stop herself from smiling, the sight of the other girl doing the same tempting it from her. “You’re used to yourself, therefore you find the way you act and dress normal, however, others, dare I bring up Auradians? They probably find you completely strange because you don’t dress nearly as formal as them.”

            “You say it as though you’re not one,” Mal pointed out, something in her eyes giving away that she’d heard something about her not being from Auradon, but hadn’t been given any further information.

            Evie moved her head so her cheekbone was pressed into the crook of the girl’s elbow, never taking her eyes from the girl for even a split-second, utterly unable to remove the smile from her face. “I’m not from here. I know, could have fooled you with the way I dress, right?”

            “Not at all,” Mal surprised her by saying, her bright-green eyes seeming soft – at least, when compared to the usual warrior look she had blazing in them. “You dress much better than all the prissy, pink princesses I’ve seen around.”

            “You think so?” Evie could feel her cheeks heating due to the flattering words, and though there had been a point in her life where she had believed blushing was unattractive – _thanks, mother_ – she didn’t mind even in the slightest. In fact, she kind of favored the idea of Mal knowing the effect she had on her.

            “Would I lie to you, Princess?”

            _Probably._ Pulling her gaze from Mal’s she glanced down where her fingers still lightly grasped the girl’s forearm, beginning to nervously trace the tattoo staining her skin. Although she wanted to believe that she wouldn’t lie to her the logical part of her told her that she more than likely already had. Just then – as that thought floated through her mind – a steady pulse from her necklace begged for her attention. Deciding to ignore the necklace for once she focused more closely on the image inked into the girl’s skin, finding that it was an extremely intricate design of two dragons forming a heart. _I wonder what dragons mean to her._

            “Where did you get this done?” Evie asked curiously as she continued tracing the beautiful design with her fingertips.

            “I don’t remember, exactly,” Mal answered, and it worried Evie just how sincere she sounded. “Some guy I knew from the streets did it. I don’t remember where I was living at that point, though it was only a few years ago.”

            “That sounds highly unsanitary.”

            The response hadn’t come from Evie, and both her and Mal turned to find Ben standing in the doorway, his usual brilliant smile present on his face. His voice had startled her, causing her heart to race, however, the sight of him calmed her back down; she enjoyed the boy’s company, and although she wished she could have more alone time with Mal she had no issue with him being present. Mal didn’t appear to share the same feelings as her, though, and she found this out by the quick shift in the girl’s posture, her muscles tensing under her touch and her shoulders pulling back.

            She could feel the pinch of something unsettling inside her chest, almost as if someone had taken the sharpened tip of a pencil and decided to slowly twist it into the area directly in the middle of her chest until it was fully submerged. It was radiating into her from somewhere else, and she couldn’t tell if it was from Mal, or from the necklace; but she definitely didn’t like the way it seemed to burn her blood, making it feel as though it took a strained effort for it to pump correctly in her veins.

            “Of course it would to you,” Mal shot back, fingers clasping tightly around the material of the infirmary sheets. “You grew up in a castle where everything was done for you by servants.”

            Ben chuckled as he approached the bed. “Bringing that up again, are we? But I’m pretty sure having a strange man on the streets stick a needle in your arm would be considered unsanitary to more than just Kings and Queens.”

            “Well, not everyone has it as easy as you,” Mal replied, the venom finding its way back into her voice.

            _Why do you act like this?_ Once again, Evie was left utterly confused, and she started feeling hopeless when it came to figuring Mal out.

            “That’s precisely what I’m trying to change,” Ben spoke honestly, hands clasped together in front of him. “And it would be much easier if you told me where you grew up. I can’t change a place if I don’t know what that place is.”

            “You have no power over there, you wouldn’t be able to do shit about the fucked up things that happen,” Mal spat, the anger coursing through her causing Evie discomfort. “Why don’t you give up this whole charade of being a benevolent ruler, it’s not fooling me.”

            “You’ve had terrible experiences with those believed to have more power than you,” Ben said, reaching down to fix the crinkled edges of the sheet. “But not all of us are like those you’ve previously known, I promise.”

            Mal watched Ben warily as he took a few steps closer, and Evie watched – in bewilderment – the scene unfolding before her. _How does she do it? How is she one person one minute, then a completely different person the next?_ Thinking about how it was possible made her head hurt, and paired with the unsettling and unfamiliar burning slowly spreading through her veins it was almost too much for her to handle. _What is even happening?_ She had no idea, but she hoped it stopped soon. Just as she thought that, though, a whispering voice started persuading her mind.

            “I don’t believe in promises, _Your Highness_ ,” Mal spoke through a clenched jaw, her body still completely tensed; which Evie didn’t think was good for her wounds. “It’s just a way to manipulate people while you get everything you want.”

            “I’m sorry you see it like that,” the honesty was thick in Ben’s voice, his gaze flickering down to the tube resting on the ground. “You should really put your IV back in. Shall I go get my mother to give you another?”

            “If it’ll make you leave,” Mal replied, her eyes glowing a shade of green that was abnormal for an eye-color.

            “Alright, I can take a hint,” Ben chuckled awkwardly, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck. “But please, don’t hesitate to get my mother’s attention if you change your mind.”

            “I’ll keep that in mind.”

            Evie could tell she was lying.

            The unwelcome feeling and relentless whispers suddenly intensified as she watched Ben exit the infirmary, and for a brief moment she grew acutely aware of the harsh pulse throbbing against her chest where the crowned heart rest. And something inside her snapped, her distaste for the way the girl treated Ben getting the best of her in a way she never thought _anything_ ever could. She pushed herself to her feet, releasing her hold on Mal’s arm as she moved away from the bed the girl lay in, feeling as though something else entirely was controlling both her body and her mind.

            “Are you leaving?” Once again, Mal sounded panicked, afraid even.

            The smallest part of her broke at hearing the girl in that state again, but even if she wanted to she couldn’t seem to bring herself to care whether or not the girl was in pain. It was a sudden and unwanted change in feeling.

            “I need to discuss assignments with my teachers before they leave the school,” Evie answered, she felt like someone else entirely, but still as though this was who she truly was all along.

            “Wait, E, please don’t leave like this,” Mal begged, sounding completely unlike herself as well.

            A small ruffling sound let Evie know Mal had slipped from the bed and made to follow her, and a sudden yelp of pain seconds before a thud let her know that the girl had fallen to the ground, unable to move on her own. She stopped, but only briefly, glancing over her shoulder to find the girl crumbled on the ground, her eyes desperate and pleading.

            “P-please, stay… with me,” Mal pleaded, out of breath and looking as though her entire world had just been torn apart.

            Evie’s gaze flickered to where Mal held her side, fresh blood making a quick appearance to completely contrast with the pale skin of her fingers. She lifted her gaze to Mal’s again, no sympathy coursing through her body for the girl. “I’ll tell Belle you need her.”

            “Evie, please…”

            But she ignored the girl, walking through the doorway and leaving the girl lying there, wounded and helpless.


	13. Chapter 13

**_(Mal)_ **

A deep settling ache formed in Mal’s chest the very second Evie disappeared from her sight, completely taking her mind off the sharp pain currently spreading through her side, the pain from being left in this way outperforming the pain of re-opening a wound. _What even happened? Why did she act like that?_ She wanted to chase after the girl, to figure out what was wrong, but the second she used her good arm to drag herself across the floor the freshly opened wound seared her side, the intense heat finally managing to steal her attention from the living ache inside her chest.

            “Fuck!” Mal hissed, her arm collapsing under her weight.

            She landed harshly on her back, jaw clenched in pain as she lifted her head to glance down at the bandaging covering her ribcage and the blood staining it. _Well, this won’t be the worst pain I feel today._ She wasn’t only referencing the almost unbearable pain she had felt crashing into her both times Evie had made to leave, and just as she thought about it – as if summoning it – the connection tugged on her chest. Despite knowing it was coming the pain still blinded her, her vision filling with millions of tiny lines as the heat inside her chest burned everything to a crisp. She could feel the pain going through Evie as well, and she thought bitterly toward the girl; _you fucking deserve this for walking away from me that way._

            It was cruel, but she couldn’t help what she felt in that moment. She was furious; furious with Evie for leaving her in this way; furious with herself for caring; furious with herself for becoming so vulnerable with the girl. She had let the girl get to her only for her to tear her down, and she vowed to herself as she lay helplessly on the ground – too many different painful strikes taking over her body at once – that she would never allow it again.

            However, she knew that she couldn’t blame it all on Evie alone. _The necklace._ The powerful surge that had hit her just as the girl’s behavior changed so suddenly clued her in that something was wrong. It was like the magic had sunk its claws into Evie and drained everything that made her who she was from her body, leaving only an empty shell in its place. It could only be the necklace. _The necklace is controlling her, keeping her away from me._ She still had no idea why the necklace would react in such a way, but she knew it was the only possibility, the only thing that made even the slightest bit of sense. And so she forced herself to push passed her anger toward the girl, knowing that there were more pressing matters at stake; Evie was in danger. If her mind was clouded by the necklace’s power it would surely warn her of any nearby danger, but it might also lead her straight into it by taking her away from Mal. The agents knew she was protecting Evie, and there was no doubt in her mind that they would strike the second they found them apart and weakened, which made right now the perfect time; the necklace successfully separating them while the break in the connection weakened them.

            Gritting her teeth, Mal dug her fingers into the bandaging encasing her ribcage, sending magic through her fingertips to cut the material from her body. Her side wasn’t the best sight to see in that moment, but she wasn’t bothered by it in the slightest, and she slid her blood-coated hand directly over the wound as she shut her eyes for better focus. A scream tore through her body as she pushed magic into her wounds until her side appeared to have never been injured in the first place. Sweat trickled from her forehead into her hair as she repeated the process with her arm, completely forgetting about the wound in her left temple. After giving herself a short moment to recover from healing she pushed herself to her feet unsteadily, her energy already lacking severely as she stumbled over to the bed she had previously occupied, grabbing her clothes from the basket at the head of it and pulling them over her body. Breathing heavily due to the effort moving proved to be she forced her legs to carry her through the open door and through the hallway.

            “Hey, where are you going?”

            She ignored the receptionist completely, pushing through the front doors of the infirmary and into the fresh air, finding that – despite it being nearly 6PM – the sun remained completely alert, blinding her and forcing her to raise her arms to block the harsh rays from stinging her eyes. _I need to discuss assignments with my teachers before they leave the school._ Pushing passed the constant protests of her body Mal head in the direction of the school after locating it, praying that the girl was actually where she said she would be, too tired to use the weakened connection to locate her.

            Entering the school, Mal frantically moved through the hallways, glancing into every room in search of the girl. _You better be fucking kidding me,_ she thought to herself after searching the last classroom she knew Evie had. _She’s not fucking here!_ Throwing her clenched hand into the nearest wall she found glass shattering around her arm, letting her know that it had been a window. She barely noticed the sting of the shards slicing through her knuckles as she found her strength in anger and worry, hurrying back through the halls and into the sunlight.

            “Mal?”

            The voice came from her left, and she immediately turned, hope coursing through her that she would find Evie next to the boy who had spoken her name. A false hope, it would seem.

            “Carlos,” Mal responded, gaze flickering over the boy standing next to Carlos; and she would have asked who he was if she wasn’t in a hurry. “Have you seen Evie anywhere?”

            But Carlos didn’t seem to hear her. “Aren’t you supposed to be…? What happened to your injuries?”

            “They healed,” Mal answered. “Where’s Evie?”

            “It seems you’re always looking for Evie,” the taller boy next to Carlos spoke up, crossing his arms across his chest. “Why don’t you tell me what you want with her?”

            “It’s none of your business, man-bun,” Mal hissed through a clenched jaw, becoming desperate and increasingly agitated.

            The boy stepped closer intimidatingly, but it failed to faze Mal. “That’s where you’re wrong. Evie’s my friend, so when some random girl keeps asking about her creepily, it _is_ my business.”

            “Jay, relax, Evie knows Mal,” Carlos chimed in, placing his hand on the boy’s shoulder.

            “It’s been what? Two days that she’s known her,” Jay ignored Carlos’ attempt to calm him, keeping his narrowed gaze locked on Mal. “And this girl has seemed obsessed with her for longer than that.”

            “You _really_ don’t want to mess with me right now,” Mal threatened, matching Jay’s glare with her own. “I’m going to ask one more time. Where. Is. Evie.”

            “You get within two feet of her again and you’ll regret it,” Jay threw a warning directly back at her.

            Mal scoffed, laughing dryly. “Can’t wait.”

            More irritated than she had been before leaving the infirmary Mal pushed passed both boys, ignoring Carlos’ following questions about her injuries and Jay’s glare as she moved away from the school. _Where are you, Evie?_ Though she knew the connection wasn’t strong enough to withstand much use she closed her eyes and searched for the girl through magic, finding her immediately. _Found you, you sneaky little Princess._

 

**_(Evie)_ **

Magic rippled around the barrier locking in the Isle of the Lost, the large amount of power used to hold the spell no longer slipping Evie's notice despite the distance between her and the barrier now that she stood on Auradon's soil. For the first time she could feel its power, the fact that she could making her wonder whether she had been idiotic to miss it before, or if it was new. She had no idea if everyone else could feel the magic radiating from it, but she figured they could given the fact that there was nothing special about her that would allow her to feel magic that others couldn’t; she was just as mortal as them.

            Anger coursed through her more powerful than the barrier’s magic, and although she didn’t know what had caused her this unexpected rage she knew that her new roommate had everything to do with it. Just a few hours ago she would have been ecstatic about the way the girl had seemed to need her as she had left, but by the time it had taken the girl to get to that point she had realized how tired she was of Mal’s games. She was tired of the back and forth, and quite frankly, thinking about how often the girl’s attitude changed irked her more than she could express. The back and forth seemed inevitable when it came to the purple-haired girl; the second she felt comfortable with the girl, feeling almost as though they had grown up alongside each other, weariness soon took over, making her wonder if the girl despised her. She was tired of it all, and simply the thought of the girl threw her into a flashing anger.

            As her anger built at the thought of Mal, the crowned heart resting comfortably against her breastbone pulsed relentlessly, each pulse sending harsh bolts of electricity into her body, vibrating her bones and causing them to ache. _Is this what it feels like to be this furious?_ The logical part of her brain stepped in; _no, you’ve been unnecessarily angry with people before, and this is nowhere near how it feels. It can’t get this consuming._ But everything inside her that made her view things in such a way was violently wiped from her body, almost as if someone was tugging her soul from her body and replacing it with a new one.

            _Take it off!_ She screamed at herself helplessly, and she immediately reached upward to grasp the chain, ready to rip it from her neck and pitch it into the body of water stretching out in front of her. However, the second her fingers touched the cool chain the pulsing quickened and intensified, the electricity coursing through her body becoming unbearably painful. It only took ten seconds of the harsh pulse for her arm to drop back to her side without her commanding it to. All the sudden her mind was completely blackened, and when it re-emerged everything was different.

            She glanced around her surroundings as if she were a completely new person, taking in the barrier and the distant Isle. A sudden, consuming feeling took over her mind and she reached up to cradle the crowned heart hanging from her neck. _I can never take this necklace off._

            “Take it off, Evie.”

            The necklace flashed brightly, lighting up the entire area in front of her as its beat intensified once again, warning her of the danger lurking close to her; too close. She turned around, her blank stare falling on the exact person she never wanted to see again.

            “Go away, Mal,” Evie replied, keeping the necklace tightly in her grasp as if she were afraid something would happen to it if she let it go.

            “Not until you take the damn necklace off.”

            Her skin started tingling where she touched the necklace, and the words that came out of her mouth seemed to seep into her from the flashing heart first. “Mal. Always showing up places where nobody wants you.”

            A bright green flashed in Mal’s eyes as she took a step forward menacingly, however, before the girl could move any closer an unseen force slammed into her, throwing her backward a few feet.

            “Evie, please,” Mal sounded out of breath as she pushed herself back to her feet. “Take it off. Use your own powers to control the necklace. Do _something._ I know you’re still in there.”

            “I told you to go away,” the words seemed to come from the necklace, dark and furious.

            The light emanating from the necklace brightened as Evie finally let her hand drop back to her side, and she watched as Mal quickly brought her arms up to block the blinding light from reaching her eyes. A wicked smile appeared on Evie’s face when she noticed that the light seemed to be burning the girl, searing through the shredded jacket she wore and piercing her pale skin. However, the smile faded quickly when the girl made a sudden move.

            Before she registered what was happening Mal had lunged forward, forcing her way through the blinding light so that she could curl her fingers around the glass heart, clearly ready to rip the chain from around her neck. Evie’s own arms lifted for her hands to clasp onto Mal’s wrist, however, before she could even brush her fingers over their destination an extremely powerful surge ripped through her chest, forming a circle of green and red mist around them. The surge traveled through her body until it had coated every crevice of her, and the electrical shocks that had been continuously shooting through her body came to an abrupt end as warmth and familiarity flooded back into her. However, just as Evie snapped back into herself an incredibly powerful gust of wind blew over both her and the girl in front of her, and Mal collapsed immediately, her grip slipping from the crowned heart as her knees buckled underneath her.

            “Oh my goodness!” Evie shouted in surprise, arms shooting forward desperately.

            Evie fell to the ground with Mal, her arms wrapping around the girl’s body just before her knees came in contact with the ground. Her legs tucked underneath her as she fell so she was sitting, and she brought Mal’s body close to her, left arm wrapped around the girl’s shoulders while her right lifted for her to caress the girl’s cheek.

            “Mal?” She whispered, utterly confused as to what had happened. “Mal? Can you hear me?”

            Glancing around briefly she noticed where they were, how close they were to the water only managing to confuse her further. _How did we…? What is…?_ She couldn’t finish any of her questions. She had no idea how they had even gotten here, feeling as though she had completely missed the last thirty minutes of her life. When she felt a dissipating force she glanced down at the necklace, the internal light of the crowned heart fading quickly until it, once again, seemed like any other glass necklace. _What did you do?_ She asked the necklace, sure that it had something to do with the messy situation she now found herself in.

            But she wasn’t worried about herself.

            “Mal, come on,” she brushed her fingers over the girl’s cheekbone before sliding them down to trace her lips. She lowered her hand to press her palm into the middle of the girl’s chest, a relieved sigh moving through her body when she felt steady breathing. _Oh, thank goodness._ Lifting her head to look around the area she shouted, “somebody help! I need…” her voice cracked as she brought her gaze back down to the unconscious girl in her arms. “I need help.”

            She was lost, she had no idea what to do. With just a glance, Mal appeared to be sleeping, but given the powerful surge Evie had awoken to she feared that there might be something seriously wrong with the girl, feared she might be in danger. _Maybe… maybe she just got too tired from moving around with her wounds._ Sliding her hand down to slip inside the girl’s jacket she found that there was no bandaging, and when she unzipped the jacket to move the thick material aside she was baffled to see that there wasn’t a single scratch on the girl’s skin. _What? Am I even awake? What is going on?_ Nothing made sense.

            Bringing her hand back up to caress the unconscious girl’s cheek she leaned down until her forehead was resting against Mal’s. “Please, Mal, please wake up. I don’t… I don’t know what to do.”

            The distant sound of cries could be heard and it caused her heart to leap with hope, _someone heard me!_ And so she shouted again.

            “I need help! I’m over here!”

            And the shouts started sounding closer.

            “Hang in there, okay?” Evie whispered to Mal desperately, knowing the girl couldn’t possibly hear her. “Help is coming. I’m going to…” she broke off, tears threatening to escape. “I’m going to find a way to help you, no matter what. I promise.”

            In that moment, something came back to her, something Mal had said before she had seemingly blacked out; _I don’t believe in promises._ Evie brushed loose strands of hair from Mal’s eyes. “Well, Mal,” she started, reaching up to wipe away a tear. “I’m going to show you that you can believe in promises. I’m going to show you that you can believe in me. Just please, _please_ wake up.”

            As she continued holding Mal close to her she shut her eyes tightly, fighting against the terror scorching her chest by praying that everything was going to be alright. The only thing that got her to open her eyes was a hand coming to rest on her shoulder, and she pulled her head away from Mal’s to glance up.

            “What happened?” Chad asked, his gaze trailing over Mal.

            “I don’t… I don’t know,” Evie answered honestly, bringing her own gaze back to the girl in her arms. “She just, she collapsed. I have no idea what happened before that.”

            As she spoke details started coming back to her, each one only making things seem messier. _Not until you take the damn necklace off,_ it was Mal’s voice, words the girl had spoken to her minutes before; _use your own powers to control the necklace. Do_ something. _I know you’re still in there._ Her mind couldn’t take all this confusion. _My own powers? What did you mean by that?_

            “Here, let me take her,” Chad’s voice fought back into the front of her mind, yanking her back into reality.

            Evie didn’t want to let the girl go, but she reluctantly let Chad take Mal into his arms, well aware that he could carry her back to the infirmary and she couldn’t. It wasn’t until she felt too light without the weight of Mal leaning against her that she noticed Lonnie was there as well, the girl pulling her to her feet and into her arms.

            “Everything’s going to be okay, Evie,” Lonnie whispered into her hair, arms squeezing Evie tightly with reassurance. “Let’s just get her to Belle.”

            All she could do was nod, finding herself incredibly thankful that these two had been within proximity to hear her shouting. She was tired, she was worried, she was scared; but above all else, she was confused. Pieces of what she seemed to have missed came crashing back to bombard her mind as Lonnie’s tight hold led her after Chad and Mal.

            _Wait, E, don’t leave like this. P-please, stay… with me._

_Go away, Mal._

_Evie, please, take it off. Use your own powers to control the necklace._

_I know you’re still in there._

            It hurt her to know she had left Mal. It hurt her to know she had brushed her off. But most of all it hurt knowing that – even after Evie had left her in pain and told her to leave her alone – Mal had still come after her, seemingly knowing something was off. _What happened to me?_ She thought as she finally broke down, all her weight falling into Lonnie as tears burned her eyes and escaped to sting the skin of her cheeks. _Why did Mal have to be the one to get hurt? Why couldn’t it have been me?_ Fighting passed her sudden emotional breakdown she raised her gaze to the girl carefully held in Chad’s arms, feeling as though Mal now lie unconscious solely because of her.


	14. Chapter 14

**_(Evie)_ **

Thursday had come unusually quickly, Tuesday and Wednesday drifting passed Evie so swiftly that she often found herself questioning what had happened during both of those days, whether she had done anything, or not. Sometimes, she wondered how she had managed to find herself in each of her classes during their scheduled time, her mind so overwhelmed that it proved to be a constant distraction from her responsibilities as a student. She knew it was foolish and she still couldn’t help but let it continue, and she continued missing her classes despite being present for every single one of them, the teacher’s voice diminished into a distant murmur as her mind wound too quickly for her to keep up.

            The first thing at the front of her mind was Mal. She couldn’t help but worry about the girl, especially given the fact that she still remained unconscious, never once waking – or even stirring – from the seemingly deep slumber she had fallen into Monday night. In medical terms, Evie had found out that it was called a coma, which Belle had explained as a deep state of unconsciousness that not everyone woke up from. And so she found herself constantly worried about the girl’s health, perpetually terrified that she might never wake again, still feeling as though it was completely her fault.

            She thought about things that didn’t seem to matter to anyone else. She thought about what might have happened if she hadn’t left Mal alone in the infirmary; she thought about what might have happened if Mal hadn’t come running after her; she thought about what the girl’s life would be like if she hadn’t shown up in Auradon at all. She thought about it all, right down to wondering what would have happened had her mother never given her the necklace that still hung around her neck, now completely dormant from any abnormal pulsing or skin-searing heat. Every ‘what if’ that came to mind tore her apart, but still she asked herself more, wondering if a simple fact being changed could have stopped it all from happening.

            However, Mal’s health wasn’t the only thing that demanded her attention.

            Though she was worried to the point her stomach twisted with nausea, another emotion battled for the front row seat; confusion. Ever since she had managed to remember every little detail of what had occurred between her and Mal down by the water she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Mal’s words, one sentence in particular. _Use your own powers to control the necklace._ Not only was she anxiously waiting for Mal to wake so she could know the girl was alright, but she was also desperate to ask her what she had meant by saying that. _My own powers? As in magic?_ She had never been more confused by anything. _I don’t have any magical powers._ Her mother had magic, she was well aware of that, but she had never inherited any of the woman’s powers, and she was convinced that they would have made an appearance by now if she had. She knew that some magic was required to work the magic mirror, but it was only the faint presence of her family’s powers in her blood that allowed her that ability; she was just as mortal as the majority of those in Auradon, she was sure of that. But still, part of her wondered if there was something she didn’t know about herself that Mal somehow did, resulting in the girl telling her to use powers she knew she didn’t have. _She’s probably just like everyone in my family. Knowing I should have powers, only to become disappointed in me when it’s realized that I can’t do anything outside of work a magic mirror._ And that’s the answer she was stuck with; the belief that Mal merely guessed she had magic because it wasn’t a secret that her mother is the Evil Queen.

            And that had her wondering who Mal’s parents were, though she was well aware that the girl never discussed her past. Thankfully, she wasn’t allowed the time to over-strain her brain in desperate search of the girl’s past, the sudden high-pitched ring of the school’s bell drawing her from her helpless thoughts.

            Once again disappointed with herself for missing an entire lesson, Evie moved slowly as she packed her supplies into her bag with an organized order, a light sigh moving through her body as she debated asking the teacher what the assignment was. However, before she could even get to her feet she found herself startled when she noticed the teacher standing directly in front of her desk again. She opened her mouth to apologize, but the woman beat her to speaking.

            “I’ve been told the student currently in the infirmary is your roommate, is this correct?”

            Surprised by the current topic, Evie could only manage a nod as she swallowed the thick lump that had formed in her throat, the mention of Mal causing her stomach to crumple back into a nauseous mess. Her teacher sighed, her usual stern look turning into something resembling sympathy.

            “Then no doubt you were close with her,” the woman spoke softly, as if afraid she would break Evie if she were to speak any louder. “I’ve noticed you’ve been a little distant in class this week, but knowing that I can only guess what you might be going through at the moment with your roommate, I’ve decided to be lenient. You deserve a few days to process and come to terms with everything,” her words surprised Evie, and before she could respond the woman continued. “I’m terribly sorry for everything that’s happening, and I hope that whatever happens you’ll find the comfort that you need.”

            Feeling suddenly uncomfortable and not knowing what else to say, Evie hoisted her bag onto her shoulder. “Thank you, Ma’am.”

            Her teacher offered her a sympathetic smile as she walked around the desk and made her way to the door, feeling almost guilty. She should have told the woman that she hardly even knew Mal, and that she wasn’t even sure if they were friends or not, but in the moment she had found herself grateful for an excuse to remain distracted by everything she couldn’t seem to understand. _I’m such a terrible person._ She stopped in her tracks when she turned in the direction that would lead her to her locker, finding her path blocked by Jay, who was leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed.

            “Jay,” she spoke quietly, barely more than an audible exhaled breath.

            “Hey, Evie,” Jay broke out into a wide smile as he pushed off the wall. “What was that all about, with the teacher?”

            “Oh, nothing,” Evie shook her head, not wanting to discuss her current lacking skills in class with him. “What are you doing here?”

            “Waiting for you, clearly,” Jay replied, gesturing for her to lead the way, indicating that he’d follow her. “I just wanted to see how you were holding up.”

            Evie knew Jay could see right through her, so she didn’t dare lie to him. “Good enough, I mean, I could be more focused, but it’s not like I’m sick or anything.”

            “You just seem shook up,” Jay shrugged, glancing at her briefly. “I mean; it must be hard. Having been there and all.”

            “I think I’d be better if I knew what happened,” Evie said honestly, sighing as they turned the corner and reached her locker. “All I know is that there was a bright flash, and then she hit the ground and…” she couldn’t finish it.

            “And hasn’t woken up since,” Jay finished for her, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

            Evie paused briefly, her fingers gently clasping the knob of her locker for a few seconds before she started twisting her combination. Something felt off to her, something about the way Jay spoke of everything that had happened with Mal, but she chose to ignore it, not sure if she was imagining it, or not.

            “You should come get something to eat with Audrey and I,” Jay continued, clearly knowing she wasn’t about to respond to his previous words.

            Evie laughed lightly, almost dryly. “Yeah, no thanks.”

            “Come on,” Jay pestered, nudging her lightly. “I’ll make sure she plays nice. It couldn’t hurt.”

            _Or it could hurt a great deal._ “No thanks, I’m just going to go check on Mal.”

            “Evie,” Jay groaned, holding a few of her textbooks without complaint as she handed them to him. “I really want you two to get along. She’s my girlfriend and you’re my friend.”

            “Tell that to her,” Evie muttered, taking the books back from him and sliding them in her locker carefully now that she had made space for them. “I would _love_ to get along with whoever you’re dating, Jay, it’s just that you’re dating Audrey. And no matter what I do she just seems to continue finding new ways to crawl under my skin.”

            “I get that, I do,” Jay stated, casually lifting Evie’s bag from her shoulder and slinging it over his own. “But I’ve had multiple talks with her, and she’s said she’s willing to try. So, can you just come along this once and test it out?” He was pleading with her, and she knew she was going to give in before he even finished. “I promise that I’ll do something about it if she says anything rude to you.”

            _Yeah? Like break up with her?_ She knew it was too wild of a hope given how much Jay seemed to actually like Audrey. Glancing in the direction of the infirmary she sighed in defeat, turning back to Jay and gesturing for him to start walking.

            “Yes!” Jay smiled widely, seemingly ecstatic that he had gotten her to agree to accompanying him. “Thank you, Evie. You don’t know how much it means to me that you’ll give her another chance.”

            _Oh, I think I do,_ she thought to herself, reminding herself to store this moment away in case she needed to use it to get Jay to do something for her. Normally, she wouldn’t think this way when it came to doing favors for friends, but the fact that it meant she had to spend time with Audrey made her utterly unfazed about the idea of holding this favor against him. It wasn’t like she hadn’t tried to become Audrey’s friend, in fact, she had tried so many times that she had lost count a while ago. Audrey was the one making it impossible, constantly feeling the need to threaten her with one ridiculous thing, or another. And it only took a few seconds when they had met up with Audrey for the girl to begin again.

            “So, Evie?” Audrey got her attention as they made their way to the pizzeria Jay had chosen for them to go. “Where’s your boyfriend?”

            “Boyfriend?” Jay questioned, eyebrows knit in confusion as he glanced over at Evie. “I thought you said you…”

            “Yeah, I do,” Evie cut Jay off, not wanting Audrey to know about her preference for girls; it would only open new opportunities for the girl. “He’s perfectly fine, Audrey. I think he’s just practicing some new plays.”

            It was almost amusing how confused Jay appeared, and she found herself having to hold in a laugh as Audrey responded. _Oh, Jay, if you only knew what your girlfriend thought of your two best friends._

            “Did he finally realize he’s bad at the game?” Audrey faked a pout, but Evie saw right through her.

            “No, just that there’s always room for improvement,” Evie replied smoothly, not missing a beat as she gave Audrey the most convincing smile the girl had probably ever seen. “I’m proud of him.”

            Audrey’s eyes narrowed at her briefly before she moved ahead of them, pretending she had seen someone that interested her. Evie finally allowed herself to laugh, though only for a short moment before Jay came closer to her side.

            “I’m still confused,” Jay announced, watching Audrey greet someone. “What _boyfriend_ are you two talking about? You’re into girls, Evie.”

            “Carlos,” Evie answered nonchalantly, a small shrug of her shoulders meant to let him know she wasn’t bothered by any of it. “She thinks I’m dating Carlos, and I’m just too tired to keep up with her ridiculous accusations, so I just go with it.”

            “Picking them younger, are you?” Jay joined in the joke, clearly finding it just as amusing as her that Audrey believed the two were seeing each other.

            “Well, I know Cruella wouldn’t approve since I’m eighteen and he’s still sixteen, but I just can’t help it,” Evie said playfully, a smile reshaping her lips. “He’s just so adorable.”

            “She seriously believes you two are dating?” Jay questioned, dark eyes lit with amusement.

            Evie nodded, humming. “Mmhm.”

            “Jay!” Audrey called, stealing their attention from the conversation they were having. “Can we eat here instead?”

            Evie raised her eyebrow, glancing at Jay and watching as he didn’t put up any form of a fight despite the fact that he had really wanted to eat pizza for dinner. _Carlos was right, she does have her claws buried deep in him._ She said nothing as she followed Jay over to the fancy awning, knowing that it wasn’t the correct time to be bringing up relationship issues. Sitting down at one of the tables after Jay and Audrey she glanced around curiously, finding that it was mostly princesses filling the area. _Of course she’d want to eat here._ She picked up the menu, ready to keep her focus on something other than the girl sitting in front of her.

            Just as she thought Jay had managed to take her mind off everything happening, the thought of Mal crawled its way back into the front of her mind, immediately lowering her spirits. _I hope you’re okay, Mal. Please be okay._ She knew that the first thing she would do when the girl woke up was apologize for being the one who put her in a coma. Though part of her hoped the heavy weight of guilt would leave her shoulders if Mal turned out to be fine she knew it wouldn’t no matter what she did, she would always blame herself for what had happened to the girl, well aware that it had been her necklace that had caused it. _Oh my goodness, that sounds so ridiculous!_

            “Evie!”

            Her name being shouted yanked her forcefully from her thoughts of Mal, bringing her back into reality where she found both Jay and Audrey staring at her. She hummed in question, looking at both of them, the fact that Audrey seemed utterly annoyed not slipping her notice. _I’m sorry, does not having everyone’s undivided attention bother you?_

            “Do you have problems with your attention span as well?” Audrey asked angrily, her irritation coming through thick in her voice.

            “Audrey…” Jay started, but was unable to finish.

            “Only when I’m with you,” Evie replied, offering Audrey an obviously forced smile.

            “Evie,” Jay’s voice was laced with a warning, the look in his eyes begging her not to hit back.

            She averted her gaze, knowing she shouldn’t have taken Audrey’s bait, but she couldn’t help herself when it came to her. Audrey irked her more than anyone else ever had, and she wasn’t one to sit back idly while anyone – let alone some conceited Princess – repeatedly fired shots at her. Still, she had told Jay she would give the girl another chance, and right now, neither of them seemed to be doing as Jay wished.

            “I’m sorry,” Evie apologized quietly, preparing for the lie she knew needed to slip from her lips. “I didn’t mean it.”

            Audrey laughed at this. “Wow, you’re real tough.”

            “Audrey, please stop,” Jay pleaded with the girl, leaning over to slide his hand into hers. “You know she’s my friend.”

            “Friendships seem to be formed with the lowest of people on the Isle,” Audrey didn’t stop, though, only digging further as she turned to Jay. “I know it must be hard when no one there is worthy of your time, sweetheart.”

            That one had swooped low enough to hit exactly where Audrey had meant for it to, and Evie didn’t hesitate another second before pushing from her seat, grabbing her bag and walking away from the couple, no longer willing to spend an afternoon with Audrey no matter how much Jay begged her to. Although Audrey couldn’t possibly know about it, Evie _had_ been the last person on the Isle Jay wanted to make friends with, and the reminder stung more than she would have originally believed. She knew Jay remembered the way he had reacted to the idea of becoming friends with her, and she knew he remembered just how deep his words had struck. Through that they had managed to become incredibly close friends, learning things about each other that neither of them would have guessed could possibly be true, but despite their unbreakable bond, Audrey bringing up that she’s not worthwhile of Jay’s time wounded her because it reminded her of the time Jay had said the exact same thing.

            Jay didn’t come after her, she didn’t expect him to, and she could already picture the look of victory shining in Audrey’s eyes, the idea of the girl knowing she had struck a deep nerve disturbing her; but not enough to get her to go back. If there was one thing she was sure of in that moment it was that she was done giving Audrey more chances to make Jay happy. If he wanted to continue dating her, that was his issue, but she would no longer allow him to expect it to be hers as well.

            She had no idea where she was headed, but she wasn’t surprised when she found herself pushing through the front doors of the infirmary. After all, she had spent the entire school day wishing she could visit her roommate. However, as she approached the room she knew Mal occupied she found herself slowing her steps until she stopped just outside the door, just out of view from those inside the room.

            “Lunch wasn’t horrible, I mean, it never is since I get to see my friends. But the class after that is my least favorite, so that’s pretty sucky.”

            It was Carlos. Growing curious as to who he was talking to she quietly stepped around the corner of the door, finding herself completely bewildered seeing that the boy was the only one inside the room – not counting the unconscious girl, of course. He was talking to Mal.

            “The teacher in my sixth class always gives me a hard time,” Carlos continued talking about his day, Dude sleeping on the floor by his feet. “I don’t really tell my friends that because I know Jay would cause a huge scene if he knew.”

            The corners of Evie’s mouth curved into a smile; half because she knew Carlos wasn’t exaggerating about how Jay would react and half because of the scene unfolding in front of her.

            “After school I practiced for a bit on the tourney field, but I wasn’t really feeling up to it today, and that’s when I came to see you,” Carlos spoke softly, yet with perfect clarity, his words coming out strong as they did only when he was comfortable. “Am I forgetting anything? Oh, yeah, Jay’s out with Audrey, you know, the girl I really wish he wouldn’t stay with.”

            _You and me both, Carlos._ Her heart fluttered at the sight in front of her, the knowledge that Carlos cared enough for Mal to visit her and tell her about his day despite the fact that she couldn’t hear him lightening the crushing weight she had earlier felt pinning her chest down. She was touched and incredibly grateful that Carlos seemed to like Mal, the rest of her friends – not including Lonnie – constantly reminding her that they felt there was something wrong with the girl, something dangerous about her.

            Looking passed Carlos her gaze fell on the unconscious girl hooked into several machines, the sight tightening her chest. As she studied Mal’s features from a distance she couldn’t find what her friends tried pointing out to her, the girl seeming so small and fragile at the moment. _She’s just like the rest of us._ And she believed that with zero doubt, not seeing anything about the girl that made her seem dangerous in any way.

            “He said he was going to ask Evie to go with them, but I don’t think that will last long,” Carlos spoke again, his fingers manipulating the material of the blanket draped over Mal’s body. “Evie’s worried about you, you know. She thinks you’re in a coma because of her, which is ridiculous,” he paused, and by the shift of his head Evie could tell he had lifted his gaze to find the girl’s face, half covered by an oxygen mask. “We both want you to get better. We know you will.”

            The amount of emotion present in Carlos’ voice made Evie’s chest ache, made her want to take the boy into her arms and hug him tight enough to squeeze every ill emotion from his body. Still, she remained in her spot by the door, not ready to interrupt Carlos’ moment with Mal; and she felt slightly guilty witnessing it.

            “You’ll probably want to leave Auradon when you wake up,” Carlos chuckled, clasping his hands together on the bed in front of him. “Two accidents in one day. I’d want to leave, too, if it had happened to me.”

            Evie’s heart dropped into her stomach at the thought of Mal leaving when she woke up, the idea having never occurred to her before then. It would make perfect sense if the girl left, given the fact that she had been terribly wounded and then placed in a coma not even twenty-four hours later, but Evie found herself thinking selfishly anyway. _I don’t want her to leave. I want her to stay. I want her to stay for me the way she wanted me to stay for her that day._ It was entirely selfish, she knew that, especially since she had left the girl helplessly wounded when she had begged for her to stay, but she couldn’t help the way she thought, couldn’t help what she wanted.

            And what she wanted was another chance. Another chance to stay with the girl when she needed her; another chance to stay with her even when she didn’t need her; another chance to be the one she could count on for anything. She wanted it so much that it no longer remained a desire; she _needed_ another chance to show Mal who she truly was. She _needed_ another chance to show Mal that she could be that person the girl had clearly been searching for in her that day.


	15. Chapter 15

**_(Evie)_ **

Cheerful chatter surrounded Evie from every direction, the crowd thicker than usual given the fact that it was Saturday, the weekend being the time the majority of people did their shopping; as did Evie. Her eyes scanned the seemingly endless rows of fabric, the sight of all the sewing material curving her lips into a smile. _I could do so much with all of this._ Unfortunately, she knew she could never spend that large of an amount of money on only sewing, which limited her severely. Typically, her gaze was drawn to the blue-dyed fabrics – and occasionally the colors Carlos and Jay preferred – however, this time she found herself sending several glances in the direction of a new color. Walking over to the table that kept stealing her attention she ran her fingertips over the dark-purple of the fabric, the smooth silk sliding beautifully underneath her touch.

            And that’s when a brilliant idea crept into her mind.

            _Not silk, though. Not a chance._ An even brighter smile now gracing her features she moved down the table until she located the leather; _that’s more like it._ Brushing her fingertips over each individual leather presented in front of her she wondered which one would work the best, trying her best to conjure an image in her mind of what the item had looked like originally. Once she finally managed to create the image with perfect clarity she knew exactly what fabrics and materials she would need to recreate the jacket.

            _How much will I need?_ She asked herself, tapping her fingers on the surface of the display table as she recalled the size of the girl. _Not a large amount._ Reaching down she grabbed the amount of dark-purple leather she estimated she would need, hooking it over her arm as she moved around the table and head toward the pink fabrics, determined to perfectly recreate the girl’s jacket. After grabbing a smaller amount of pink leather she shifted to another table and grabbed a roll of green as well, remembering that one of the sleeves had green thrown into the mix of colors. Glancing around she debated what else she would need but found that it resulted in nothing. She had plenty of zippers stored in her room, and – from what she could recall – there was nothing special added to the jacket, just simply three mixed colors of leather and a diagonal zipper. _Got it!_

            “What’s with the colors?”

            Evie started, turning around to find Lonnie, her eyes showing her curiosity as she scanned the fabric draped over her arm. She had almost forgotten she had shopping buddies, and sure enough, when she glanced over Lonnie’s shoulder she found both Carlos and Jane as well, Dude sitting between them. However, there was recognition in Carlos’ brown eyes while the two girls remained oblivious to the color choices.

            “Oh… these?” Evie questioned, raising her arm the slightest bit to emphasize the various leathers. “They’re for my roommate. I mean… I’m making something for my roommate.”

            “Those are Mal’s favorite colors?” Lonnie asked, reaching forward to drag her fingers over the fabric. “And she likes leather, I’m taking it.”

            “Yeah,” Evie laughed lightly, thinking of everything Mal had brought to Auradon, every article of her clothing being made of leather. “She definitely has a strong liking of leather.”

            “So you’re going to surprise her with something when she wakes?” Jane asked, bringing to mind what none of them wanted to remember; that Mal was still in a coma.

            “Um… yeah,” Evie answered, her demeanor a lot less spirited at the mention of Mal’s current state. “She… her jacket got ruined during the first accident, and I’m pretty sure it’s her favorite one, so I just wanted to make another so she could still have it, in a way.”

            “That’s honestly the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard,” Lonnie smiled brightly at her, a soft sigh leaving her lips. “I wish Chad would do something that sweet.”

            Cheeks heating, Evie averted her gaze, suddenly becoming extremely interested in the ground beneath her feet. _Is doing this really that sweet?_ She didn’t want to scare Mal away.

            “Like Chad would ever do anything even _slightly_ romantic,” Jane laughed at the idea, and Evie couldn’t blame her.

            “He can be…” Lonnie trailed off, clearly not even seeing where she was headed. “You’re right. He mostly likes talking about tourney and complaining about school.”

            “Sounds about right,” Evie noted, shrugging her shoulders lightly.

            “Oh my…” Lonnie gasped, bringing her hand to grip Evie’s shoulder. “I forgot to tell you about our date yesterday!”

            “Well, you texted…”

            “That was barely anything,” Lonnie dismissed, expression brightening with joy as she brought her other hand up so that she was gripping both of Evie’s shoulders tightly before bringing their bodies together in an embrace. “I _have_ to tell you everything that’s going on between Chad and I.”

            Carlos snorted. “Tell me why I came shopping with three girls again?”

            “Because you love me,” Evie replied without a single moment of hesitation, meeting his gaze over Lonnie’s shoulder. “And I asked you to come.”

            “Right,” Carlos chuckled awkwardly, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck. “I need to learn how to say no to you.”

            “Come on, you’re enjoying yourself,” Lonnie said, reaching over to lightly shove the small boy. “You’re just afraid to admit it because Jay would never let you live it down.”

            “If you say so,” Carlos shrugged, trying his best to seem unamused, but Evie could see straight through him; he enjoyed their company.

            Lonnie stared at him for a moment longer in disbelief before turning back to Evie. “Anyway, about the date...”

            “I’m sorry,” Evie interrupted, well aware of how long this might take. “But can I pay for these first?”

            “I’ll allow that,” Lonnie nodded, letting go of her. “But don’t think you’re getting out of anything because we’re going to have a nice discussion about this.”

            Shaking her head, Evie walked away from her friend and up to the owner of the outside shop to pay, curious as to what the girl could have possibly left out of her novel-length text message. On one hand, she wanted to gain further details about the date her friend had enjoyed so much, but on the other hand, she felt she already knew everything important.

            As she watched the owner enter the charge for each one of her items the mix of colors had her mind switching directions, and she once again couldn’t stop herself from getting lost in her own thoughts of Mal. She thought of the way Mal called her Princess, saying it with zero disgust – unlike the way she spat Ben’s royal status; she thought of the way those bright-green eyes often stare so intently into the red-brown of hers; she thought of the way Mal touched her so gently, almost as if she were afraid of how she would react to the contact. But the thing she couldn’t help but think about the most was – despite however the girl was acting toward her in the moment – the way Mal always came running when she was in pain, or when something seemed off about her. The time she had experienced an unbearable amount of pain in AP Chemistry; Mal had come to her side in worry. The time she had nearly fainted in the infirmary; Mal had touched her so gently as if afraid she was about to break. And even when she had uncharacteristically left her on the infirmary floor Mal had still come running after her. She just couldn’t ignore any of those. She just wished she knew how Mal had felt about the moment they had shared in the infirmary when she was bandaging the girl’s wounds, the girl’s behavior directly afterward making Evie believe she had crossed a line, but the change of behavior when they had woken later that day making her believe the exact opposite. It was all too confusing the majority of the time, and she craved the girl’s company, her snarky remarks and contrasting gentle caresses. She wanted Mal to be okay, for both selfish and selfless reasons.

            _Oh my goodness, I can’t believe I got there from simply seeing the colors she wears._

            After paying for the slightly expensive material she hooked her fingers in the handles of the bag the owner gave her to store her purchases, making her way back over to her friends, prepared for the rest of the day to be about discussing Lonnie and Chad.

            “Okay,” Lonnie started as soon as they started walking again, looping her arm through both Evie’s and Jane’s. “So you already know most of the details about the date, at least all the basic stuff.”

            Evie reached over to grab Carlos’ free hand, not wanting him to feel left out by having to follow behind instead of walking beside them. A smile crept onto her face when she recognized the expression etched into the boy’s features; _poor boy got tied into girl-talk._ She promised herself she’d make it up to the younger boy once they were finally freed.

            However, it didn’t seem as though that would happen. Lonnie’s detailed explanation of her most recent date with Chad seemed to be never ending, and whenever Evie believed the girl to be finished due to a lengthy pause there was always more; it felt like she was merely creating a day-long date in her mind on the spot. Even Evie was getting a little tired of listening, but she would never show that, and she would definitely never interrupt one of her friends, especially not when they seemed so excited about whatever they were harping on about. She was glad that everything was going well between her best friend and her boyfriend.

            “… and then he kissed me sweetly before taking me home,” Lonnie brought the story to an end, much to everyone’s surprise. “He’s honestly so sweet, I don’t understand where he was hiding all of this behavior before.”

            “You mean when he was being an ass?” Carlos asked, and Evie couldn’t stop the laugh from escaping her at the blunt comment.

            “Yeah, around then,” Lonnie replied, seeming completely unfazed by Carlos’ jab at Chad.

            Jane sighed dramatically, getting all of their attention. “I wish a boy would do those things for me.”

            “You’ll find that boy someday,” Evie reassured the shortest girl, well aware of where she was headed. “But you don’t need a boy to be happy.”

            “That’s easy for _you_ to say,” Jane retorted, ignoring Evie’s attempt to make her feel better about her lack of a boyfriend. “You like girls.”

            “That doesn’t change anything,” Evie stated, slightly offended. “I don’t _need_ a girlfriend to be happy. And you don’t need a boyfriend to be happy.”

            “It’d be nice to have one for once,” Jane sighed again.

            “Yeah,” Evie said quietly, her mind immediately straying to the thought of her roommate. “It would be nice to have someone, wouldn’t it?”

            “I think that if you don’t have a crush on anyone then you shouldn’t dwell on it,” Carlos shrugged, joining the conversation and earning himself an arched eyebrow from Lonnie. “If you do like someone, yeah, it would be nice if they returned those feelings, but if you _don’t,_ why spend your time wishing you had someone when you technically don’t even want anyone at that time.”

            Evie seemed to be the only one not surprised by Carlos’ input on the conversation, and honestly, she couldn’t have said it better herself, especially when it came to Jane. The girl always complained about no one finding interest in her romantically, but she herself had never been interested in anyone in particular either; Evie guessed she was just in love with the idea of having someone.

            “And you said you weren’t enjoying our company,” Lonnie teased, reaching around Evie’s shoulders to playfully ruffle the boy’s hair.

            Carlos shrugged. “I just wanted to end that conversation.”

            Not finding offense in the boy’s words, Lonnie turned to Jane to continue reassuring the small girl that she would eventually find a boy that was well worth the wait. Noticing the way Carlos gently rubbed his stomach, Evie leaned closer to the boy.

            “Are you hungry?” She asked curiously.

            “Yeah,” Carlos nodded, a laugh escaping his lips. “Incredibly hungry.”

            She smiled down at the boy before turning toward the other two, deciding to take advantage of the fact Lonnie was currently finished discussing Chad, well aware that – if given long enough – she would start up again. “Hey, we’re going to grab something to eat, we’ll catch up with you in a bit.”

            After receiving nods of acknowledgement from both girls she slid her arm from Lonnie’s, keeping Carlos’ hand in hers as they broke away from the other two and head in the direction of the outdoor restaurants. They walked for a few more minutes, Dude running beside Carlos’ feet, before either of them broke the spreading comfortable silence between them.

            “Where do you want to eat?” Carlos asked, eyes scanning the multiple options presented before them.

            “I’m not that hungry, so you can choose whatever you want,” Evie stated, knowing the boy would keep his desires to himself if he knew someone else was getting something as well.

            Seemingly knowing better than to argue Carlos pulled her in the direction of the restaurant of his choice, and she followed the tug on her arm until they were in line where he released her hand. He reached down to scratch Dude’s head before meeting Evie’s gaze.

            “Can you hold his leash while I get my food?” He questioned, holding the end of Dude’s leash in front of him.

            Evie reached forward to take the leash from him, a warm smile present. “Of course. Do you need any money?”

            “No,” Carlos quickly denied the offer; paying for him was something she often did, and each time she could tell he felt guilty about it despite her telling him not to. “I’ve got some money with me, but thanks.”

            She watched the boy move further in the line, staying where she was since she wasn’t getting anything. Leaning down, she lifted Dude into her arms, holding him in a way that allowed her to scratch underneath his chin, feeling – in that moment – the best she had in the last five days.

            That’s when it happened.

            A continuous pulse of heat started suddenly, thumping against her chest and quickening her heartbeat. _No, no, no. Not this again._ She glanced down at the necklace resting against the middle of her chest, tears immediately threatening to fill her eyes when she noticed the unusual glow shining from the red heart. The necklace hadn’t caused a single issue since the night Mal had dropped unconscious, remaining perfectly still and silent, and she had nearly believed it to be just the same as every other necklace in the world; but of course that couldn’t last. The rhythm of its beat was panicked, making her feel nauseous as she craned her neck to look over her shoulder, an invisible force urging her to. _What are you doing? What are you trying to tell me?_ Just as she asked that question her gaze landed on something highly unsettling, and her stomach twisted in fear.

            Looking utterly out of place, four overly large men clad in dark clothing had their eyes locked on her, their eyebrows furrowed in what looked like furious contemplation. Though she was terrified by the sight of the men contrasting with the rest of the crowd she knew she was safe; _no one is idiotic enough to try anything in this large of a crowd._ She wasn’t even positive they would do anything, but the logical part of her brain and the rapid pulsing of her necklace warned her that there was something off about them, something creepy, something dangerous. Not daring to take the intimidating men from her sight she kept her gaze directed their way, trying her best to make it seem as though she wasn’t watching them the way they were obviously watching her. _Calm down, Evie. Why would they be staring at you? They’re probably looking at the shops behind you._ Despite her own attempt to reassure herself she couldn’t get the idea from her mind that they were debating the simplest way to get to her without anyone noticing.

            She was so worried about the strange men that she hadn’t noticed Carlos’ return. “Do you think Mal’s going to wake up?”

            Evie started, tearing her gaze from the burly men and shifting her attention to the boy standing beside her, a basket of food held in both his hands. When she threw a quick glance back over her shoulder she couldn’t find them; they had disappeared. _Or was I imagining things?_

            “Evie?”

            “Hm?” Evie hummed, forcing her gaze away from the area she had seen the men. She met Carlos’ gaze, her heart immediately sinking into her stomach at the worry present in the boy’s brown eyes.

            “I was just…” he trailed off, pain evident in his large puppy-dog eyes. “People have been talking and I just… do you think Mal’s going to wake up at all?”

            The sight of the boy’s emotions running unrestrained through his eyes paired with the thought of Mal had her chest tightening painfully. She hadn’t ever really recognized the possibility that Mal would never wake from the coma, her mind constantly looking to the brighter future, to the idea of the girl waking and giving her the chance to make amends for everything she had done to her. She had been worried about _when_ she would wake, not _if._ Now, she couldn’t get the thought out of her head. _No,_ she told herself, wanting to remain blissfully ignorant about this; _she’s going to wake. She’s going to be fine. She’s not dead, she can’t be._

            And so she nodded. “Yes, I think she’s going to be fine, she just needs some time to recover.”

            As she gave Carlos her response the flash of hope brightening his eyes didn’t slip her notice, and she couldn’t help but feel guilty now that she worried herself. _What if she doesn’t wake? What if I killed her?_ She would never be able to forgive herself for bringing that fate on someone else, especially someone who didn’t even come close to deserving it.

            When she remembered all of what Carlos had said she couldn’t stop herself from asking; “Who’s saying she won’t wake up?”

            Carlos seemed to become uncomfortable, kicking the stone beneath his feet as he continued eating his food. But Evie wasn’t ready to let it drop.

            “Carlos,” she spoke softly, not wanting the boy to mistake her worry for anger. “Who doesn’t think Mal will wake?”

            “Mostly Jay and Audrey,” Carlos answered, still seeming the slightest bit uncomfortable as he continued. “But Belle was starting to consider the possibility as well.”

            “She’s considering it? Or she believes it?” They were two completely different things, and Evie needed to know which one.

            “Considering,” Carlos confirmed, the pain settling back into his features with perfect clarity. “I went by to see her this morning before meeting up with you girls, and I overheard Belle telling Ben that we might have to start preparing for the worst,” he paused, building enough strength to say the next part. “She said that most people who go into comas never come back out.”

            “They’re just worrying too soon,” Evie said, trying to convince herself as well as Carlos. “I’m sure she’ll wake up soon, I mean… she’s still breathing,” she was searching for scraps; and she may not be an expert on health conditions, but she was sure it meant something. “She’s going to live, Carlos.”

            “I hope so,” Carlos spoke quietly.

            Finally, the worry started fading from her body, instead being replaced by curiosity. Though she definitely loved that Carlos cared about Mal, she started wondering why he cared to the extent he did. She was well aware that he was just a caring soul, but this felt different to Evie, it felt as though there was a connection between Carlos and her new roommate, one she clearly didn’t know about. All she could conclude on her own was that he must have spoken with her after the first accident, and that they had somehow quickly become friends; though she didn’t understand that considering how difficult Mal often proved to be. She decided she had to ask him.

            “Hey, Carlos?” She started, watching the boy’s reaction closely as he lifted his gaze from his nearly empty food basket. “If you don’t mind me asking, how did you meet Mal?”

            “No, it’s fine, um… well, I first spoke with her that day I told you someone was asking about you,” Carlos explained, not seeming the slightest bit reluctant toward talking about Mal. “Remember? I invited her to eat with us but she declined. But the first time she actually seemed interested in me was when I found her injured. She told me to leave her alone, but I couldn’t,” his gaze averted to his food again at that, but he continued. “I was there when she woke up again. Belle was still taking the wood from her skin and needed me to distract her.”

            Evie wasn’t surprised that the girl had told Carlos to leave her alone, the seemingly stubborn nature of the girl shining brighter than any other behavior she had exhibited, but she _was_ surprised to hear more about what had happened to the girl. _Taking the wood from her skin?_ She still wondered what had happened that day, Mal having divulged little detail about the accident except that it wasn’t actually an accident, which only further confused her.

            “And you two hit it off really well?” Evie asked, her voice quieter than she had intended it to be, making her seem almost timid asking Carlos questions about Mal.

            “Well, I wouldn’t say _really_ well,” Carlos laughed lightly, his eyes dancing with amusement at the memory; the first sign of joy she had seen in him since they had split from the others to get him some food. “Like I said, at first she told me to leave her alone. And her eyes seemed to glow with anger, which I thought was strange, and intimidating, to be completely honest,” his eyebrows drew together in slight confusion at this. “But after she had woken up and Belle was working on her she seemed different, almost thankful that I was there.”

            _That’s exactly what happened when I went to see her._ Evie thought, recalling the way Mal had been annoyed by her appearance at first, but then seemed to gradually grow more grateful that she had arrived when she had. _She’s reluctant to let anyone care for her,_ she noted; _she doesn’t want us to care for her, or help her. Why is she so closed off?_ Again, she found herself wanting to be the first one to break through, to be the one Mal trusted the most. She pushed all those feelings to the side for now, knowing she should return to the conversation instead of remaining stuck in her own little world of thoughts and wishes.

            “I don’t think she’s used to having anyone around for her,” Evie said honestly, not completely sure she should be talking about the girl in this way; still, she couldn’t help herself, she wanted to get these thoughts out of her head. “She doesn’t want us caring for her.”

            “Do you think it’s something that happened to her in the past?” Carlos asked, seeming just as eager as her to discuss this topic. “Because when I was sitting with her Belle asked her about why her mother would just let her get a tattoo when she was only fifteen, and she said she doesn’t have a mother,” as he spoke Evie noticed a glint entering his eyes, something like realization. “She also said that someone who called himself her father beat her close to death once.”

            Evie’s chest tightened at the new information, and she felt acid threatening to burn through her throat in an attempt to meet the concrete at her feet. Forcing herself to breathe deeply to keep her breakfast from reappearing she closed her eyes, trying not to let an image form in her mind. _She’s faced death before, and now she may be facing it again._ She wished she knew where her roommate had grown up, wondering if things like that occurred more often there, wondering if being nearly beaten to death was normal to the girl. The idea sickened her, but she couldn’t push it from the front of her mind. Several questions she had already craved the answer to bombarded her mind again, and she was only a centimeter closer to getting the answers to them. _What happened to you, Mal? Who hurt you in the past?_ It was obvious that the girl had struggled deeply before coming to Auradon, and Evie now found herself wondering how she had gotten here. _When did she decide to leave the place she was raised?_ Why _did she decide to come to Auradon?_ She wished she knew more, and continuously finding herself at a standstill frustrated her. She _needed_ to know more about Mal, and she desperately craved to be the one to heal the wounds of the girl’s past, and she knew that the first step to doing so was exactly what she had already been trying to do; show the girl that it wasn’t a hopeless dream wishing for people to care about her. She cared about her, and so did Carlos, she just wished that when the girl woke up she would finally be able to see that.

            “Should we get back to the others?” Evie asked, still feeling as though they shouldn’t be openly discussing the possibilities of Mal’s past when the girl was currently in a coma.

            Carlos nodded, finishing the final bite of his food. “Yeah, probably. But I’m not dealing with anymore Chad talk, okay?”

            “I don’t blame you,” Evie laughed, setting Dude back onto the ground and offering her hand to Carlos again.

            He took it without hesitation, and together they made their way to the shop they knew Lonnie and Jane would be at. However, before they could even walk a few yards a sudden pain shot through Evie’s chest, the excessive amount of it causing her to abruptly stop, the pull on Carlos’ arm getting his attention.

            “What’s wrong?” Carlos asked casually, panic flashing through his eyes the second they locked on Evie. “Oh my god, Evie. Are you okay?”

            Through the pain, Evie nodded, knowing Carlos would know she was lying but doing it anyway. She couldn’t explain what was happening, so she didn’t try, especially not when she recognized the feeling. _It’s exactly like what happened in Chemistry on Monday._ The necklace shot a panicked pulse into her chest, making her heart feel as though it was centered in a globe of electricity, a cage it couldn’t escape from. Like before, she felt an urge telling her to look in a certain direction and she didn’t fight it, somehow knowing what she would find as her legs collapsed underneath her, dropping her to her knees before her friend.

            And just like she had expected, the four men were standing where the invisible force was guiding her, staring angrily at her like they had been the first time, not even pretending they weren’t watching her. _What do you want from me?_ She wanted to shout it through the chatter of the crowd, the chatter that now seemed too loud, creating a ringing in her ears as the pain dug its claws deeper into her heart. And suddenly, there was only one word she could properly think; _magic._ The heat; the pulse; the warnings; the pain; the forced switch in her opinion of Mal; it was all coming from the necklace, an object that shouldn’t do more than look presentable and change temperatures based on the weather outside. _The necklace is magic._ She had already contemplated the idea before, but had turned it down because of the facts that contradicted the possibility; now, she had no doubt.

            It was warning her; _but against what?_ It was controlling her; _but what for?_ She had no idea what kind of game her mother had been playing saying it was nothing more than a casual necklace, and now, she felt as though she had been tricked into wearing a magical necklace that would cause her pain; but something about that feeling wasn’t right. _No one else can feel the necklace._ And she thought, maybe her mother couldn’t either. Maybe it was all just in her head, maybe the necklace hadn’t done any of the things she believed it had, and instead it was just her own feelings causing all this; but that didn’t feel right either. _Use your own powers to control the necklace._ Her heart suddenly began racing in hope; _Mal._ Mal knew the necklace had been controlling her, therefore she had to know the necklace possessed magic, and though she didn’t understand how she could know she wasn’t going to question it. The simple fact was; Mal was the only other one who knew the necklace was something more than everyday jewelry.

            She could barely feel Carlos’ hands grasping her arms; could barely feel the way he shook her in attempt to drag her back to him; could barely hear his panicked voice reaching out to her. She was lost to the real world, utterly unaware of what was happening around her, the only thing available to her being the feeling of the magic coursing through her body.


	16. Chapter 16

**_(Evie)_ **

“No, it only has _two_ significant figures, see, these zeros don’t count because of where they are located in the number.”

            Evie used the point on the cap of her pen to tap each of the zeros in the number she was referring to, the rules of significant figures rolling through her mind with as much clarity as they would if she had the list right in front of her to read. Doug leaned closer to her to glance at the specific part of the assignment, pushing his glasses back up his nose when they slid down the bridge.

            “You’re right,” Doug eased out of the argument, his cheeks tinting a light shade of red at the knowledge of being incorrect. “I’m sorry for arguing.”

            “It’s fine,” Evie waved her hand dismissively, flipping her pen back over so she could write in the answer to the question now that Doug had agreed with her. “No one can be correct all the time.”

            “You don’t seem to have an issue with it,” Doug replied, no trace of envy in his voice, merely admiration.

            “I’m wrong about a lot of things,” Evie disagreed, growing suddenly uncomfortable due to the boy’s compliment. She flashed her smile at him to cover up her internal feelings. “Just not chemistry.”

            Doug laughed. “Not the things that count. And that’s what matters.”

            “Depends how you look at it,” Evie shrugged, well aware that there was something she seemed to be constantly incorrect about, something that mattered a great deal to her.

            “Well, the way _I_ look at it, it favors you,” Doug stated, once again making Evie uncomfortable, the boy having never seemed to get over her. “I still can’t believe you used to pretend you weren’t smart.”

            “Yeah,” Evie sighed, a light laugh escaping her lips at the memory. “That seems like forever ago.”

            In reality, it had happened last school year. She, Carlos, and Jay were chosen to be the first villain kids to attend Auradon Prep for Ben’s first official proclamation, and at first, it hadn’t gone ideally for any of them. Their parents had sent them with another mission to focus on beside their education, one they had eventually come to dread completing; and they never did. During that time all three of them had struggled to fit in with the children of the heroes; Evie faking a clueless nature to get the attention of a prince she didn’t even want, Carlos laying low because of the struggle created for him due to his size and original inability to play sports, and Jay being judged for having that sports-playing ability simply because he was too good. Their strength came from each other and the three who seemed to believe in them the entire time, while the majority of their issues came from the constant judgmental looks sent their way and the cheap hits taken at them because of who their parents were.

            Still, all three of them had made it out to the other side, their lives suddenly making sense to them after having realized their own beliefs and desires, not the ones their parents had forced on them. For a while, Evie had believed both the villain kids and the hero kids had learned a great deal from the experience, but now – as the hero kids spoke warily and judgmentally about Mal – she was beginning to rethink that belief. However, this time, it wasn’t only the hero kids judging the newcomer, it was Jay as well. And Evie didn’t think it was fair. She was well aware that it was different, that they judged Mal because of the girl herself and not because of where she came from, but she felt it was the same thing since they were judging before even giving the girl a proper chance. _Everyone deserves a chance, especially when they’re struggling as much as we did._ They hadn’t known any better, the way they acted and the things they did were completely normal to them because of the things constantly whispered into their ears as they grew up. It would be the same for anyone adjusting to a new way of living.

            She just wished it would all come to an end.

            “It was over a year ago, the beginning of junior year,” Doug reminisced. “Now it’s nearing the middle of November.”

            Evie no longer wanted to continue talking about the past when they were supposed to be studying, a twisted knot in her stomach telling her that Doug was more than likely about to bring up the fact that they had dated; he always did when they discussed junior year. Fortunately, just as Doug was about to say something else there was a quiet knock on the door, the sound seeming to frustrate Doug while it relieved Evie.

            “Give me one second,” Evie spoke quietly, closing her AP Chemistry textbook and pushing herself to her feet.

            Hurrying over to the door she let a small, relieved sigh move through her body as she leaned forward to twist the doorknob, opening the door to reveal Carlos. His cheeks were flushed and his gaze cast downward, giving him an embarrassed and uncomfortable aura as he shifted on his feet, his arms full of textbooks and Dude by his feet.

            “Carlos,” Evie smiled warmly down at the boy, wanting to thank him for arriving when he did, but knowing it would be strange. “What’s going on?”

            “Uh…” Carlos glanced into the room at Doug before meeting Evie’s gaze, still appearing incredibly uncomfortable. “I’m sorry for interrupting, but Jay and Audrey kicked me out again.”

            _Those two._ Evie’s jaw clenched for a fraction of a second before she forced herself to ease the flash of anger that had entered her body at the boy’s words, not wanting him to think she was upset with him. _For goodness’ sake, it’s his room too._ She reached out for him, squeezing his shoulder sympathetically as she opened the door wider.

            “Come on,” Evie invited him into her room, reminding herself to have a conversation with Jay about kicking Carlos out of his own room. “You’re always welcome here, you know that.”

            “Thanks,” Carlos smiled crookedly at her before stepping into the room and nodding at Doug. “Hey, Doug.”

            “Hey,” Doug responded, glancing up from his textbook to send the boy a friendly smile. “Jay taking advantage of it being his birthday, is he?”

            Carlos nodded, chuckling awkwardly as he set his books down on Evie’s bed. “Normally, I would have argued with him, then ended up tossed out anyway, like usual,” he explained, scratching the back of his neck. “But it _is_ his birthday, and I guess he rarely gets to be alone with his girlfriend, so I can respect that, I guess.”

            “Maybe a bit more if his girlfriend wasn’t Audrey,” Doug laughed, completely understanding their dislike of the princess.

            “A _lot_ more,” Carlos corrected, plopping himself down on Evie’s bed to work on his weekend homework.

            Evie moved back over to the table in the middle of the room, sitting down in the chair she had previously occupied and flipping her own textbook back open. Scanning the assignment, she realized they had already finished it, and – with a smile on her face – she turned to the blonde boy sitting beside her.

            “Looks like we already finished our chemistry assignment,” she stated, closing the book so that the assignment was pressed between the pages. “What should we work on next?”

            “Actually,” Doug started, trailing off as he glanced at the watch encasing his wrist. “I should probably get going. Chad wants to do something before Jay’s celebration.”

            Carlos groaned from his spot on her bed. “Why is it that wherever I go everyone seems to be talking about Chad?”

            Evie sent him an apologetic look before shifting her attention back to Doug. “Did you want to meet up later?”

            “Maybe if there’s time,” Doug answered, smiling softly at her as he packed all his things away. “Could I speak to you outside for a moment?”

            “Sure,” Evie agreed, nodding her head as she stood from her seat.

            Through her peripheral vision she could see Carlos watching them closely, his eyebrows knit in confusion as his eyes danced with amusement, a combination Evie never thought she would witness. She stepped into the hallway behind Doug, closing the door quietly and standing just outside the door, unsure of why she was even out here in the first place. _What does he want to say that Carlos can’t hear?_

            “So, you know how there’s a dance coming up this Saturday?” Doug questioned, his voice squeaking the way it often did when he got nervous around her.

            _That’s this weekend?_ Evie had completely forgotten about the upcoming dance, her mind constantly clouded with one thing or another; mainly the necklace and her roommate. Still, she nodded anyway, humming in response.

            “Well, I was wondering if you maybe wanted to go with me?”

            Evie’s heart skipped a beat in surprise, the boy’s question catching her completely off guard; though when she went over the build-up to the question again she didn’t understand why she was so surprised. She quickly recalled their break-up in her mind, cursing herself when she realized that she hadn’t told the boy _why_ she was breaking things off with him, and she would have done it now, but she was too panicked; she didn’t want to hurt his feelings.

            “Oh, um…” she started, not entirely sure what she was going to say. “I’m sorry, but I kind of already agreed to go with Carlos.”

            Doug’s eyes widened. “Oh, I’m… that’s totally cool.”

            “I’m sorry,” Evie apologized again, feeling horrible about turning him down despite knowing she shouldn’t.

            Wishing to remove herself from the situation she closed her hand around the doorknob, twisting it until the door opened. However, Doug didn’t seem to be finished.

            “It’s cool,” Doug dismissed, fixing the strap of his bag over his shoulder. “I just didn’t think Audrey’s rumors about you and Carlos were true.”

            “Doug, they’re…”

            But before she could finish he had turned and head down the hallway, the light laugh he let out before cutting her sentence short. _Great,_ she sighed as she watched the boy disappear around the corner; _sooner or later_ everyone _is going to believe I’m dating Carlos. Thanks, Audrey._ Stepping back into the room she found Carlos’ brown puppy-dog eyes watching her with curiosity.

            “What rumors?” He asked, not seeming the slightest bit angry, just confused.

            _How do I explain this?_ “Uh… Audrey thinks we’re dating, and I guess she’s been spreading it around.”

            “And Doug now thinks the rumors are true because…” Carlos trailed off, indicating that she should fill in the rest.

            “About that,” Evie laughed lightly, closing the door and making her way over to the bed where the boy lay. “Can I ask you something first?”

            “Sure,” Carlos shrugged, still not seeming fazed by the knowledge that people believed them to be dating.

            “Will you go to the dance with me?” Evie asked, a radiant smile on her face. “As friends, of course.”

            “Okay, okay, _now_ I get it,” Carlos laughed lightly, reaching over to scratch behind Dude’s ears. “Doug asked you to the dance, didn’t he?”

            Evie nodded, sighing heavily. “I guess I didn’t tell him why I broke up with him, and it just seemed like a bad time to tell him, so I kind of told him you had already asked me, and then he just assumed that meant we were dating.”

            “Yeah, I’ll go with you,” Carlos agreed, returning her smile. “I was kind of thinking about asking you anyway, since neither of us have anyone we want to go with as a date.”

            _Well, I wouldn’t exactly say that…_ She definitely wouldn’t mind going with Mal, but considering the girl was still in a coma – and it had been nearly a week – she didn’t figure it would be intelligent counting on the girl waking before the dance. And plus, she knew she would have an amazing time with Carlos, she always did.

********

“Happy birthday!”

            Evie slid her arms around Jay’s shoulders from behind as the boy leaned forward to blow out the candles on the cake Lonnie had baked him, completely ignoring the glare Audrey sent in her direction for doing so. Everyone clapped when the candles were no longer lit, and Ben quickly moved forward to begin cutting the cake into slices, giving the first one to Jay.

            Leaning down, Evie pressed her lips to Jay’s temple affectionately. “Welcome to the adult world, Jay.”

            “About that,” Jay began, picking up his fork and leaning into Evie’s embrace so he could crane his neck to look up at her. “How can I get out of doing adult things?”

            “By staying in school,” Ben answered, laughing as he handed another slice to Carlos, who stood beside him. “For the rest of your senior year, you don’t have to do anything besides study and play tourney.”

            “The same can’t be said for you,” Jay smiled at the younger boy, a mischievous, triumph glint in his dark-brown eyes.

            Ben chuckled, the skin around his eyes crinkling with his smile. “No, I passed that landmark a while ago, unfortunately, but it does have its perks.”

            “Being King of Auradon has its perks?” Chad questioned, stealing the next slice of cake. “We would have never guessed, man.”

            This friendly banter continued for as long as it took Ben to hand out the cake, and once Ben finally had his own plate in his hands Jay took a large bite of his slice, clearly still wishing to wait for everyone despite it being his birthday. Evie ruffled his hair before sitting down in the chair beside him where Ben had slid her plate, beginning to slowly eat her own slice as well. It didn’t take long for Jay to finish his first slice, and before he could get a second Audrey had slid into his lap, an incredibly fake smile stretching across her face.

            “Happy birthday, baby,” Audrey whispered just loud enough that only Jay and Evie could hear her.

            Evie was highly amused by how possessive Audrey seemed to get, and all she could do when the girl glanced directly at her before kissing Jay was shake her head in amusement. That’s when she felt someone’s breath on her ear.

            “She needs to make up her mind,” Carlos whispered, and she turned her head to face him instead of the kissing couple. “Does she think you’re with me, or does she think you’re after Jay?”

            Evie couldn’t help but laugh, her eyes lighting up with amusement. “I’m not sure, I think it’s both.”

            “Well, for your sake, I hope us going to the dance together gets her off your case,” Carlos said, glancing over her shoulder at the couple as he took another bite.

            _It probably won’t._ “Me too. Oh, and by the way,” Evie trailed off, subtly dipping the tip of her finger in the icing of her cake before swiftly reaching up to spread it over the boy’s nose. “You’ve got a little something on your nose.”


	17. Chapter 17

**_(Evie)_ **

The smile that graced Evie’s features when she slid her hands over the finished project in front of her was one that made the entire lower half of her face ache pleasurably. _It’s perfect!_ She was whole-heartedly proud of the way it had turned out, and she was almost amazed by how similar it looked to its original. There were no visible differences, and she only had to worry whether she had gotten the type of leather correct. _I hope she loves it._ She didn’t pray for this outcome because of how much time she had dedicated to recreating the jacket, like most people would, she prayed for it because she wanted the girl to be able to keep hold of the item that seemed to mean quite a bit to her; that’s all Evie cared about.

            However, despite the fact that the jacket laying in front of her looked to be utterly identical to the one Mal had shown up to Auradon in, Evie couldn’t help but feel as though something was missing from the jacket. _It’s definitely not missing any zippers,_ she thought, fingers playing with the various zippers on the clothing article; _she’s got_ plenty _of those. And many that aren’t even for any practical use, they’re just there for design._ It’s not that she thought it looked terrible, she just didn’t understand the necessity of an abundance of them. Staring at the jacket intently, she attempted to figure out what her heart told her it was missing, but she only came up empty continuously.

            Sighing, she rested her elbow against the surface of the table and plopped her chin into her palm, eyes scanning the room aimlessly as she called to mind an image of the girl’s jacket in attempt to figure out what she felt she was missing. No matter how hard she tried to recall something about the jacket she had missed she couldn’t change her image of it even the slightest bit, and it wasn’t until something caught her eye that she realized what was missing. It wasn’t anything that had been on the original jacket, in fact, it was something that the original jacket lacked as well, and although part of her warned her not to add anything to the girl’s precious jacket her spirits raised even more.

            She allowed her gaze to linger on the broken crown logo gracing the back of her own jacket where it hung up in her open closet, going over the designs she had sewn into the back of Carlos’ jackets, as well as Jay’s. _Mal has a logo. Just like us._ An image of the double-dragon tattoo inked into the girl’s left forearm popped into her head with perfect clarity, and though she normally found herself wondering what dragons meant to her at the thought of the tattoo, this time she merely found herself beaming about the idea she had gotten.

            And so she went to work again, selecting a piece of black fabric and matching it with a piece of bright-green. Working the black into the shape of a heart she sewed it into the pink of the jacket’s back before going to work on sewing the dragon design in green over the black heart, a wide smile present on her face the entire time she worked.

********

Another Thursday had managed to sneak up on Evie, and she found herself spending it exactly the same as last week’s, right down to the thoughts and worries bombarding her mind. She was confused about almost everything happening around her, she was stressed about her uncharacteristic inability to give her undivided attention to her education, and most of all, she was worried to the extent that the feeling made her nauseous. It was the worst she had felt since first arriving in Auradon.

            Mal still hadn’t woken. It had been – not counting that first Monday since she had been conscious for most of it – ten days that the girl had spent in a coma, not waking, not moving, and barely even breathing. Evie was beginning to worry with the rest of them, beginning to terrify herself with the idea of the girl never being able to wake again; though ultimately, she remained hopeful externally. And although she continuously tried reassuring herself that the girl wasn’t in her current state because of her she couldn’t help but feel the blame of the situation weighing down her shoulders, a deadly weight that no one else could see.

            She visited the unconscious girl every day despite her friends’ protests, the only two seemingly alright with her doing so being Carlos and Lonnie. Jay and Doug remained wary and judgmental of the girl while Chad and Jane felt she should ease down her visitations in order to get used to the idea that she might not wake. Still, she never missed a single day, and more often than not, Carlos went with her.

            This time, however, she was going alone. She enjoyed visiting the girl with Carlos, but sometimes she wanted nothing more than to be alone with her because she felt utterly comfortable voicing her worries and thoughts out loud knowing no one would be there to judge her. Part of her warned her that the only reason there was no judgement was due to the fact that the girl she was speaking to was unconscious, but a more spacious part of her somehow knew – though she didn’t entirely understand why she felt so sure about this – that Mal wouldn’t judge her even if she were awake to hear every ridiculous word she spoke.

            Glancing down, she peered into her bag to make sure the jacket was still folded neatly inside of it, a small, relieved smile forming on her lips when she found the dark-purple and bright-pink staring out at her. _Calm down, Evie,_ she told herself, shaking her head for even worrying that the jacket would suddenly disappear; _it’s a jacket, what is it going to do? Run away?_

            When she looked back up it was just in time to reach for the handle to the infirmary doors, however, she was utterly confused when the door opened for her. Turning her head to the left she found Ben, his eyes crinkled as he smiled warmly down at her. _I can’t believe I didn’t see him before._

            “Thank you,” Evie curtsied to the King, her own smile appearing on her face as she moved through the open door, waiting inside for the younger boy to enter.

            “It’s good to see you here, Evie,” Ben said as they made their way passed the receptionist’s desk together, offering the worker a small wave to announce their presence. “It’s nice to see other people visiting Mal.”

            “I visit her every day,” Evie spoke quietly, gripping the strap of her bag tightly. “And Carlos often visits with me.”

            Ben smiled brightly at this bit of information. “I think it’s important that someone be there when she wakes, so she doesn’t feel alone.”

            Evie nodded her agreement, her spirits lowering now that she knew she wouldn’t get to be alone with Mal, that she wouldn’t get to voice the overwhelming thoughts rampaging around her mind, worries she needed to relieve herself from by talking about them verbally instead of solely in her own head. Though she felt guilty for wishing Ben hadn’t chosen this time of the day to come visit the girl she still hoped he wouldn’t visit long, and that she’d get at least a brief moment alone with the girl.

            “My mother’s been thinking about unhooking her from the machines,” Ben continued, clearly understanding that Evie wasn’t going to respond with words.

            “What?” Evie’s head snapped upward so that she was looking at the boy, her eyebrows knit in worry due to the terrifying words she had just heard. “Is it… can’t she… don’t coma patients typically last extensive periods in a coma? Wouldn’t it… taking her off now would be too soon. It’d be giving up on her too soon.”

            “I believe the same thing,” Ben announced, reaching over to hold open the door to Mal’s room. “But my mother seems to have good reasons to believe Mal won’t wake.”

            “Surely there’s nothing good enough to excuse taking away someone’s life,” Evie retorted, though she felt a pang of regret accusing Belle of pulling the final string that would kill the girl. She couldn’t help it, though, she just wanted more time for the girl, and she knew that it would make all the difference. “Mal’s going to wake up. I don’t know why no one else believes that. She told me…” the strength in her voice faltered for a moment as she remembered the conversation she had had with Mal before everything had happened. “She told me that she’s strong, that she’s tough. She’s going to make it through this.”

            “You seem to be incredibly sure about this,” Ben pointed out as they entered the room, following Evie as she slowly made her way over to the bed Mal lie unconscious in.

            Evie nodded. “I may not know her that well, but I know she’s a fighter. She’ll pull through in the end. I know she will.”

            “I think you’re right,” Ben agreed, taking her completely by surprise. “But all we can do is hope that she wakes before they make the final decision to take her off the oxygen.”

            The boy’s words created an ache inside her chest. She didn’t want them to take Mal off the oxygen, or to unhook her from any of the other machines helping her. She didn’t want them to give up on Mal. From the first time she had been in the same room as the girl she hadn’t been able to get rid of the undeniable desire to get to know the girl, she wanted to learn everything there was to know about the girl, she wanted to get under the girl’s skin and find a place in her life. She didn’t know if she simply felt this way because she was incredibly attracted to the girl, or if it had more to do with the fact that she reminded her of herself, of Carlos, of Jay. She may not know the reason – and maybe it was even a mixture of both – but she knew she couldn’t push away the desire, the need; she had already attempted to and had only failed miserably.

            Something burning deep inside of her told her that there were many sides to Mal, many sides that the girl refused to show due to fear of rejection, of judgment, of disapproval, the same things Evie had feared when first traveling to Auradon. _Nobody wants to be alone._ And something inside of her told her that was exactly how Mal felt; alone. _Nobody wants to be alone,_ she repeated; _but tons of people believe they are._ Evie had had Carlos and Jay while experiencing the overwhelming changes of transferring to an entirely new area, Mal had no one she was familiar with, and so Evie craved to show the girl that her arriving in Auradon alone didn’t mean she was by herself. She wanted to be there for the girl as she adjusted to new customs and laws because she had gone through the same exact thing only a year ago.

            She wanted to be there for Mal because of the glimpse she had seen of her on that hectic Monday, the glimpse she had seen of a vulnerable girl desperately craving for someone to care, for someone to look after her, for someone to _stay._ The girl she had left lying there, wounded and broken.

            Amongst these thoughts she had found her answer; it wasn’t because Evie found Mal irresistibly and undeniably beautiful that she wanted to get close to her, it was because she wanted to give the girl the support she had needed to get through those first couple of months in Auradon so the girl could do the same. She wanted to give Mal the friendship everyone needed to make it through the most challenging parts of their lives sane.

            Finally managing to pull herself from her internal ranting, Evie moved around the bedside chair and lowered herself into it, crossing her right leg over her left and setting her bag on the ground beside her. Ben remained standing near the foot of the bed, his eyes trained on the unconscious girl. Evie focused her attention on Mal as well, leaning close enough to watch the slow, faint rise and fall of the girl’s chest, worry forming a thick lump in her throat at the sight. _She’s barely even breathing._ Her chest ached with the thought of the girl’s breathing only lessening from where it was at now, the idea of anyone losing their life twisting her heart painfully.

            “It’s almost strange,” Ben spoke up suddenly, and Evie listened while keeping her gaze on Mal. “Looking at her for so long without receiving a snarky remark.”

            At first, Evie was confused, having spent a good amount of time with the girl receiving much more than snarky, or sassy, remarks, but then she was reminded of the way Mal had treated Ben each time she had seen him with her.

            “Do you know why she treats you the way she does?” Evie asked, the different ways the girl spoke both their royal titles coming to her mind.

            “Not entirely, but it’s clear she’s struggled with high-rulers in her past, or at least something along the lines of a high-ruler,” Ben explained, checking the IV the girl was attached to. “I understand her dislike of Kings and Queens, not everyone has pleasant experiences with them.”

            “You still speak of Kings and Queens as if you’re not King of all Auradon,” Evie pointed out, touched by the boy’s continued humble behavior.

            At this, he chuckled nervously. “I still don’t feel like a proper King, if I’m being perfectly honest.”

            “You act like one,” Evie stated, attempting to reassure the nervous boy. “You’re a benevolent King.”

            “Sometimes I wish I wasn’t the King of Auradon,” Ben revealed honestly, smoothing out the wrinkles in the sheet covering the bed. “Sometimes because I think Auradon would be better off with someone else ruling them. Sometimes for personal reasons.”

            “Everyone’s allowed to have moments of self-doubt,” Evie told the boy, reaching out to brush her fingers over Ben’s hand comfortingly. “And the fact that you still do only proves that you’re a great leader. No one wants to be led by an arrogant King.”

            “Thank you,” Ben said quietly, smiling warmly down at her as he squeezed her hand gratefully. He turned back to the girl lying unconscious before them. “I just wish that she didn’t see me solely as King.”

            “She just hasn’t been given the time to get to know you,” Evie replied, not thinking twice of the way Ben spoke specifically of Mal. “She seems to need time to warm up to all of us.”

            “Yeah, that’s to be expected,” Ben chuckled lightly. “Still, I think she’ll see me more as King than as the seventeen-year old boy I truly am,” his voice was soft as he checked his watch. “Excuse me, I have to go.”

            Evie nodded, letting his hand slip from hers as he made his way out of the room, casting one last glance over his shoulder at Mal. And that’s when everything clicked into place for her. _Ben likes Mal._ She turned to stare at the doorway the seventeen-year old boy had just disappeared through in wonder, curious as to why he would be so entranced by a girl who did nothing but doubt him simply because of his royal standing. Turning to face forward again she locked her gaze on the girl before her, a small smile forming on her face; _it seems you’ve managed to catch the interest of multiple people already._ She couldn’t blame the King for finding interest in the girl considering how abnormally gorgeous she was, and she certainly didn’t blame herself for finding that same attraction toward the girl.

            Now that she was alone with the girl she brought her chin down to rest on the empty space beside Mal’s arm, her gaze never leaving her face. She studied the structure of it; the way her cheekbones stuck out the slightest bit, the way her chin came to a point, the way her jawline traveled back far, giving it an almost sharp appearance. She studied her features; the soft skin of her eyelids, the weak bridge of her nose, the chubbiness to her cheeks. And one thing she found herself missing were the dimples that made themselves unmissable with even the slightest movement of the girl’s cheeks.

            She couldn’t help herself when she brought her hand up to slip into Mal’s, allowing her fingers to curl around the other girls’, her tan skin contrasting beautifully with Mal’s pale.

            “You’re going to get better, you are,” she promised the unconscious girl, lightly brushing her thumb over the girl’s knuckles. “You’re going to wake up soon, and you’ll finally get to see that you’re not alone.”

            And she spent a few minutes like that; her hand in Mal’s and her gaze never leaving the girl’s face as she reassured her, enjoying the tingling sensation she felt prickling the skin of her hand where she touched Mal.

            Remembering what she had brought with her she reached down into her bag, closing her fingers delicately around the fabric of the jacket and slowly pulling it from its confinement. Studying the logo on the back she ran her fingers over the intricate design of the dragons, sighing as she lifted the jacket to place it carefully on the end of the infirmary bed, logo-side up.

            “I’ll come back to see you later,” Evie promised, not being able to stop herself before she leaned down to press her lips to the girl’s forehead, her lips tingling from the contact with the girl.

            She didn’t want to leave, but she had promised Jay she would meet up with him shortly after school ended, and due to that promise she had decided to keep her visit short for the time being. After she spent time with Jay she planned on bringing her homework to the infirmary to work on while keeping the girl company.

            Grabbing her bag from the floor she hoisted the strap over her shoulder before heading toward the door she had entered through, telling herself the entire time that she couldn’t stay any longer than she already had, her original plan having been to drop the jacket off then head over to meet Jay. Walking through the main room she offered the receptionist a polite wave as she pushed open the door, her feet immediately coming to a stop when she found Jay standing just to the right of the doors. _I didn’t really take that long… did I?_

            “Jay, I was just coming…”

            “I know,” Jay interrupted her, smiling as he pulled his hands from his pockets. “I figured I’d meet you here instead. It’s faster.”

            “How’d you know…”

            “Are you _really_ asking me that question, Evie?” Jay questioned, arching his eyebrow. “Come on, you’re almost always here if you’re not at school.”

            _Fair enough,_ she sighed. “You’ve got a point.”

            Jay gestured for Evie to lead the way, and so she did, beginning the journey to the dorm buildings with Jay in step beside her. At first, they walked in a comfortable silence, neither of them really sure what to talk about, however, when a topic was finally chosen it proved – within seconds – to be the worst possible one.

            “You know Mal’s not going to wake up, right?” Jay asked, speaking of the girl’s state as if it were the most casual conversation they could have.

            “You don’t know that,” Evie replied without a moment’s hesitation, keeping her voice smooth and calm despite the bolt of panicked pain that had shot through her.

            “And yet you’re going around telling everyone that she’s going to wake,” Jay stated, bringing the attention back around to her.

            “That’s different, Jay,” Evie spoke quietly, trying her best not to become angry with the boy.

            However, the second she felt a low throbbing in the middle of her chest accompanied by an unsettling heat she knew her attempts to remain calm would be to no avail.

            “No, it’s not, Evie,” Jay argued, clearly irritated that she kept hold of such high hopes for the girl’s recovery. “You don’t know she’s going to be okay, and despite the fact that _everybody_ is saying holding onto that hope is no use you’re still convinced that we’re all wrong. Is that what it is?” Jay asked, bringing his gaze to lock on Evie. “We’re all wrong because we don’t agree with you?”

            Evie shook her head, covering the fact that his words had stung. “I’m just trying to keep a positive attitude. I don’t think it’s right to give up on her after only a week, many coma patients remain unconscious for much longer.”

            “Well, yeah, but they show improvement. Mal hasn’t shown any sign of improvement,” Jay stated, getting frustrated. “Belle and Carlos say she only keeps getting worse, that her breathing fails more and more each day.”

            A sharp, powerful pulse went through her chest and she snapped, turning around to face Jay just as they reached the doors to the dorm. She was frustrated, she was furious, and she definitely wasn’t in good enough a mood to deal with Jay constantly making her feel idiotic for having faith.

            “Okay, just stop!” Evie exclaimed furiously, having had enough. “You’re only saying all of this because you _want_ her to be dead. You _wish_ she had died in that accident. You never had any faith in her even before all of this happened, treating her the exact same way you wished Auradon wouldn’t treat you when you first arrived,” as she went off the necklace shot a steady pulse of heat straight into her chest, only feeding her anger. “Do me a favor and stop trying to make me feel like an idiot for wanting to give her that chance we all wanted. She’s _not_ dead, you’ll see that soon enough, you all will.”

            And without waiting for the boy’s response she turned around and pushed through the doors, moving quickly through the main room and up the stairs that would lead her to her room, well aware that Jay was following her. She didn’t slow her stride to allow him time to catch up, however, the necklace _did_ slow with each step she took, her anger draining from her body as the erratic pulse dissipated, leaving her heart to beat normally.

            When she finally reached her room she opened the door and made her way over to her bed, so she could throw her bag onto the soft mattress in frustration. She reached up to cover her face with her hands, gently pressing into her eyes as she let out a breath, acutely aware of the boy’s presence in the middle of the room. _Oh my goodness, what is happening to me?_

            Sighing, she slid her hands from her face and brought her gaze to meet Jay’s. “Jay, I’m so sorry, I didn’t…”

            “It’s alright,” Jay shrugged, waving his hand in dismissal as a light chuckle escaped his lips, the sound slightly disturbing Evie with its arrival in this kind of conversation. “You’re right, Evie,” he stated the obvious, though part of her really wished she hadn’t been right about anything she had accused him of. “I _don’t_ like Mal, not even the slightest bit. I know I don’t know her that well, and I know that when I went through the same thing as her I wished people wouldn’t judge me so quickly, but I also know that they had the right to judge me.”

            “Nobody deserves to be judged so quickly upon first introduction,” Evie stated, believing that with her entire being.

            “Yeah, I know,” Jay agreed, sighing lightly as he leaned his backside against the table behind him. “But that doesn’t mean people won’t continue to judge, we have a right with the whole freedom thing to feel anyway about others that we want to,” he held her eyes with an intensity that had her averting her gaze before he finished. “You may not want to hear it, but Mal’s dangerous. She’s not like us, and I can’t explain it, but there’s just something _different_ about her, something almost non-human.”

            Evie had no idea what Jay meant by the words he spoke, and she was just about to argue that it didn’t always take a human to possess humanity, but something else caught both of their attention, dragging them away from each other.

            It was Carlos; his face flushed and his clothes torn, heavy breaths moving his chest at a pace quick enough to make him seem as though he were choking, struggling to breathe.

            “Carlos?” Evie questioned, hurrying over to the boy and getting there before Jay despite having been further away. “Are you okay? What’s wrong?”

            “It’s… it’s…” But he couldn’t speak, he seemed too distracted, too tired, and maybe even a little terrified.

            Evie had never been more worried about him.

            “It’s okay, man,” Jay spoke softly, gripping tightly onto Carlos’ shoulder in fear of him collapsing; Evie did the same. “Take deep breaths.”

            “It’s… Mal,” Carlos forced out, his light-brown eyes locking on Evie’s red-brown ones, and she finally recognized the emotion coating the boy’s eyes seconds before he spoke the words she had been waiting to hear for over a week. “She’s awake.”

            She didn’t hesitate after that.

            Evie slipped through the vacant area between Carlos’ body and the door, heart pounding anxiously against her ribcage as blood rushed to her ears and tuned out the world around her. _Mal’s awake. She’s fine. She’s not dead._ Fingers clasping tightly around her elbow yanked her back into reality as her body was pulled backward, bringing her face-to-face with Jay.

            “You’re really going to go see her after everything I just said?” Jay questioned disbelievingly, frustration laced thickly through his voice.

            She pulled her elbow from his vice-like grip. “You’re not always right, Jay.”

            With Carlos beside her, and knowing her response had struck deep inside Jay due to their conversation, Evie hurried down the hallway and away from a furious Jay, only focused on one thing. _Mal’s awake._


	18. Chapter 18

**_(Mal)_ **

_You’re going to get better, you are._

            The electricity seeped slowly through her skin and into her body, rooting itself deep inside every centimeter of her, whispering, healing, urging her to wake. Her blood bubbled and her veins sparked, a sharp sting of power igniting everything inside her and filling her with an incredible warmth.

            _You’re going to wake up soon._

            Suddenly, as if something had used a pair of jagged pinchers to clamp down on every nerve in her body, the pleasurable warmth turned into a scorching heat that burnt her to a crisp, causing her to jerk. Through the frantic spasm her body remained perfectly still, though to her it didn’t feel that way.

            _You’re going to get better, you are._

            Electricity pulsed wildly throughout her with complete liberty until her internal body relaxed, the pain quickly dissipating and leaving behind only a delightful crackling sensation that took over her with ease. The whispers remained. A smooth soft voice spoke to her; Evie’s voice. It reeled her mind in, lured her to get lost in the velvet melody, convinced her to let it wrap around every inch of her mind and her body.

            _You’re going to wake up soon._

            She followed the girl’s voice, followed it desperately until a light was presented in front of her, the intensity of it after days of viewing nothing but a consuming darkness overwhelming her, blinding her. Still, she went toward it, she followed the irresistible lure of Evie’s voice, not the least bit terrified of where it would lead her because she trusted the girl, trusted the words she continued whispering into her ear, the words Evie pushed into her heart.

            _You’re going to get better, you are. You’re going to wake up soon._

            Without any doubt filling her of the Princess, she stepped into the glowing light. Her body was sucked in and she was suddenly encased in a bubble that tingled her skin wherever she touched it; a portal, she had been led to a portal.

            The bubble surrounded her with electricity, and trusting that the girl hadn’t led her into a trap she reached out to touch the bright-blue sparks electrocuting the air surrounding her, electrocuting her. The sparks attached themselves to her skin, her hair, everything, washing her body with a familiar tingling sensation that pulled her deeper into the light.

            Mal’s aching body moved heavily and suddenly with a deep, long breath that seemed to be long overdue, her eyelids fluttering but holding their place as a dark cover over her eyes. Her chest continued heaving as oxygen coated her lungs, and the electricity sparked inside her a final time before it left unexpectedly, taking all the pain with it and leaving her body feeling the best it had in a long time. It also left only one thought in her mind, the only thing she seemed to be capable of feeling absolutely sure of in that moment; _Evie healed me._

            Her mind was clouded with a million thoughts; _Evie healed me. How’d she do it? She doesn’t even know she has magic. She didn’t even know she was doing it. Evie healed me accidentally._ And she would have continued being bombard by these thoughts if it hadn’t been for the sudden sounds her acute hearing caught.

            Muffled voices. Grunting. A cut-off plea. Barking.

            This time, her eyelids lifted easily, revealing above her the blank and boring tiles of a ceiling she had become all too familiar with. The sounds grew in volume as her conscious grew more alert, and she quickly registered the mix to be the sound of a struggle. She sat up suddenly, almost as if her body had made the decision to do so without the instructions needed from her brain, turning her head until she found the source of the sounds; well, multiple sources.

            And she acted on impulse.

            Pushing herself from the infirmary bed Mal braced her feet firmly beneath her before throwing herself toward the agent closest to her. She hooked her arm around the man’s neck and used him as leverage to keep her momentum going until she could wrap her legs around the other agent, calling her magic to give her the strength to snap both of their necks with little effort. Twisting her body in the air, she landed on her shoulder and rolled back onto her feet, swinging her arm around to push Carlos behind her and away from the lunging grasp of the third agent. Bringing her elbow up she connected it with the man’s nose, causing him to stumble backward, his loss of balance giving her the perfect amount of time to summon the green smoke from her palm and reshape it into a green fireball that she hurled directly at his chest, setting him ablaze and turning him to ash.

            _That seemed to be all of them,_ she thought, shaking the green flame from her hand and turning around to face the boy she had just saved; _uh-oh, that’s not good._ Carlos’ face was twisted in fright, his puppy-dog eyes seeming even larger as he stared directly at her, almost visibly shaking as he took a step away from her.

            For a moment, Mal wondered whether she should dispose of the boy as well, but the longer she looked into those light-brown eyes she only found herself increasingly worried that the boy would reveal her to the entirety of Auradon and get her thrown out, not even the smallest part of her willing to destroy him like she knew she probably should. However, Carlos remained nailed to the floor beneath his feet, not moving, not speaking, only holding her gaze. They watched each other with fear present in both of their eyes; Carlos’ because he had just witnessed not only the use of magic, but also a girl murdering three men without a second thought, Mal’s because she feared the boy would vanish from the room and expose her to everyone, expose her to Evie.

            Mal raised her hands in a slow, calm manner, showing the boy that she meant him no harm. However, when she opened her mouth to tell him she’d explain everything she found her chest tightening in panic at a sudden realization. _Evie!_ And her words changed on their way passed her lips.

            “Go find Evie,” she ordered the boy in a panic, knowing she had to deal with the other two bodies lying lifeless on the ground between them. “Quickly! Make sure she’s okay.”

            Though the fear was still heavy in presence, Carlos nodded, turning and heading quickly from the room with Dude at his heels. _How could I forget about Evie?_ She cursed herself for worrying too much about being exposed when she should have been immediately worrying about Evie’s life, about whether or not there were agents attacking her as well. _My mission is to protect her; I need to at least attempt to get into a mindset that will make her seem important._ Something stopped her after that thought; _she healed me. She saved me. So shouldn’t I find it important to do the same for her?_ Like other times since she had arrived in Auradon she found herself split on the answer, half of her reminding her that no one else mattered while the other half tried baiting her into believing otherwise. There was a pestering nag echoing in her head, throwing questions at her she didn’t have the answers to; _if no one else matters, why not kill the boy? It would be a much safer route to take. If no one else matters, why not just kill the girl and take the necklace before anyone else can? It would be much less trouble than protecting her first._ And it once again had her wondering why that hadn’t been the mission in the first place, but she also found herself wondering if she could actually do either of those two things. She shook her head, _of course I could. Neither of them matter to me. I’m just manipulating them for amusement._

            Forcing herself to tear her mind from that path before the pestering nag returned in desperation to convince her she wasn’t the only one who mattered, Mal stepped forward and crouched beside the bodies, sliding her hands into their pockets in search of anything they might have on them. She found a folded paper in each of their pockets that seemed to read the same thing, so she carelessly dropped one back on the body it had come from and read the words on the other.

            _Henderson; Coleman; Barkley,_

_The fact that this high school girl has protection is merely a thorn in our side. Figure out who the protection is, then eliminate them first. If you eliminate the protection before the target, then this will destroy any chance of retaliation after the necklace is in our possession._

_I have no doubt that you will succeed. Bring me back that necklace._

_You have your orders,_

_Head Stevens._

            _That’s weird,_ Mal thought, rolling the inside of her lip between her teeth; _they’re from a different agency than the first two groups._ Head _had_ told her there would be many agencies after the necklace, she just hadn’t believed him; she never believed him. _Why are they all so set on killing Evie? Can’t they just steal the necklace without causing her any harm?_ It was what Mal had been planning to do since she realized she wouldn’t be able to steal the girl’s life from her body, not when the girl seemed so oblivious to the entire thing. Not when Evie didn’t even seem to know about the powers she possessed, about how strong she was.

            Sighing, she waved her hand over both of the bodies and watched as they disappeared, disappointed in herself for having decided to leave the girl alive, the decision making her seem weaker than the other agents. She shook her head, _even_ I _know it’s not weak knowing when someone’s death is unnecessary. And her death would definitely be uncalled for._ In fact, more often than not, Evie seemed as though she couldn’t get rid of the necklace faster, and if Mal planned things right she might even be able to just simply ask for the necklace and receive it from a willingly giving Evie.

            And then, a realization struck her full force. Those agents had meant to take her out while she was vulnerable, when she wasn’t able to fight back, and if Carlos hadn’t been with her at the time they had chosen she would have been easily killed. _You’ve got to be kidding me,_ she sighed lightly, shaking her head in slight amusement; _in a way, that scrawny little boy saved my life._ There was quite a bit of that going around that day; Evie’s magic healing her, Carlos being in her room when the agents had arrived, and her keeping the agents from hurting Carlos. _Isn’t this just turning out to be an incredibly interesting day._

            Not sure what to make of everything, Mal pushed herself back to her feet and turned around to survey the damage done to the room, however, before she could even get the briefest glimpse of the room she found her eyes locking on something laying on the end of the bed she had been occupying; and she couldn’t tear her gaze away. The dark-purple and bright-pink contrasted almost painfully with the white of the infirmary sheets, yet she still found her feet moving without her command, carrying her closer to the bed. _My jacket?_ She was utterly lost in confusion as she reached forward to run her fingers over the leather peeking out from under the sheets she had carelessly tossed in her race to get to Carlos. Grabbing hold of the edge of the sheets she tossed the white to the opposite end of the bed, revealing the entirety of her jacket for her eyes to take in. It didn’t take long after that for her to realize that it wasn’t her jacket, bright-green staring directly at her from an area it hadn’t been in before. Her fingertips moved to trace the beautiful dragon design, her mind swimming with admiration at how perfectly it matched the black ink staining the skin of her forearm. _Why would you do this for me?_ She knew exactly what had happened – it didn’t take a genius to figure it out – but it did only manage to confuse her more than she already had been from seeing the jacket untarnished despite knowing it had been shred and burnt the last time she had worn it. _You barely even know me,_ she addressed her thoughts to Evie; _why would you take the time from your day to do something like this? For me, of all people._

            She tried to ignore the way her chest seemed to flutter; she tried to ignore the fact that Evie had managed to reach inside her chest and gain a loose hold on her heart; she definitely tried to ignore the fact that – despite her knowledge that nothing anyone did could ever affect her – the Princess had snaked her way into messing up her entire belief system, her entire aura, by doing this one thing. _You stupid fucking girl._ She didn’t want this, in fact, she despised the fact that Evie seemed to know the simplest ways to get inside her, despised the fact that – after all these years – she found herself crumbling into the girl’s every move, desperate for her to do something else. Anger taking hold of her, she gripped the bottom of the infirmary bed and hurled it across the room, the jacket dropping straight to the floor inches from her feet. _You don’t make me feel anything. I’m_ not _weak. I don’t feel anything for anyone. Especially not Princesses._

            “Oh my goodness, what happened in here?”

            Mal whipped around to find the same girl who always seemed to consume her thoughts standing feet away from her, her red-brown eyes mainly showing worry; but Mal could see the excitement present in the unique coloring, the excitement she knew must be because of her, though she didn’t understand how. At the sight of the blue-haired girl Mal quickly grew conflicted with the feelings that crashed into her; her mind telling her the very sight of the girl made her furious, the connection convincing her she felt relaxed and lighter in her presence, her heartbeat telling her something she didn’t recognize.

            “I got angry,” Mal deadpanned, keeping all emotion from showing itself through her eyes.

            Her gaze flickered to the figure standing behind Evie as she realized it was Carlos. And once again, she became slightly panicked. _What if he told her what he’d seen? What if she knows I’ve got magic?_

            “Are you okay?” Evie questioned, beginning to move closer to her.

            Magic surged through her in warning, lighting her eyes, and she watched as Carlos took a frightened step backward; however, Evie only continued moving toward her, showing not even a flicker of fear. _What is wrong with you? You should be cowering in fright, not looking concerned about me._ She hated Evie. She hated that the girl didn’t seem to fear her like everyone else did. She hated that she seemed to care about her. She hated her. People feared her, they didn’t worry about her, and yet this girl defied everything Mal had previously known and threw her mind into a downward spiral of confusion, of panic.

            “I’m fine,” Mal replied through grit teeth, wishing the girl would just stop with the whole charade, wishing she would just leave her alone.

            Despite her new fears her panic lessened as it became clear that Carlos hadn’t told Evie even a scrap of what he had witnessed with the three agents, the girl only seeming interested in knowing how she was and not _what_ she was. She met the boy’s soft, terrified gaze passed Evie, hoping that her eyes somehow portrayed her appreciation of him remaining silent, and when he nodded in acknowledgement she found a weight being lifted from her shoulders.

            _Maybe this kid isn’t so bad,_ she thought, knowing she was growing fonder of the boy than she should ever allow herself to be of anyone, especially given the fact that there was never any point in keeping people around.


	19. Chapter 19

**_(Mal)_ **

_Thank god, I’m away from that fucking woman._

            As she made her way to the dorm buildings early in the morning the overwhelming anger Mal had been feeling slowly dissipated with every other stride, dwindling until she felt utterly neutral about everything again. Despite the fact that she had been completely and undeniably healthy after she woke, Belle had forced her to stay another night in the infirmary, so she could make sure her sudden recovery wasn’t merely temporary. This could have been better if the woman hadn’t spent the entire night hurrying around the room and constantly bothering her; she only had one thought about Belle, and it wasn’t a pleasant one.

            Pushing open the dormitory doors she immediately ran into someone, and – as she remained perfectly steady on her feet – the other person spiraled to the ground, flailing amusingly. Not being able to help herself she let a laugh slip through her lips as the small girl landed on the ground, and she couldn’t stop another from tearing through her when she caught a glimpse of the girl’s hair. It was nearly bad enough to make Mal offer her help to the girl; almost.

            “Aren’t you going to apologize?”

            The question came from Mal’s right, and she shifted her attention toward the voice to find its owner, eyes already flashing green. It was a boy with slightly curly blonde hair and an incredibly average face set in a pompous expression; he already irritated her. With the first glance he got of her eyes he took a frightened step backward, his eyes widening briefly before he seemed to force himself to get over that fear and stand straighter.

            “I’ve nothing to apologize for,” Mal stated, furrowed eyebrows challenging the boy to say something else. “It was her fault she was in my way.”

            The boy reached down to aid the small girl in scrambling back to her feet, smiling warmly at her before bringing his gaze to meet Mal’s again, eyes narrowing. “You have everything to apologize for. You ran into her _and_ knocked her over.”

            “And it’s my fault she’s clumsy?” Mal questioned with no intention of allowing him to answer. She stepped closer to him, crossed her arms over her chest, and gave him a look that dared him to continue. “Do you really want to pick a fight with me?”

            “ _You_ knocked _her_ over, it shouldn’t matter whether she’s clumsy or not,” the boy was seemingly becoming angrier by the second.

            But so was Mal, and it showed in her eyes when they flashed an impossible shade of green for any mortal, the sight causing the small girl to squeak and flee while the blonde boy took several steps back, his fingers closing tightly around the straps of his bag; she had easily won this argument.

            “I’m going to ask you one more time,” Mal started, holding up her pointer finger to emphasize the number of times she would repeat this. “Do you _really_ want to pick a fight with me?”

            Just then, the girl Mal had spoken to first after her arrival in Auradon came skipping up to the curly-haired boy’s side, looping her arm through his and placing a kiss on his cheek. Still, the boy didn’t look away from Mal, his eyes widened in terror, his mouth hung open the slightest bit.

            “Hi!” The new arrival chirped, eyes bright with joy. “You’re Mal, right?”

            “Mmhm,” Mal hummed, flicking her gaze toward the taller girl, finding that she didn’t remember her name; though she didn’t care. “And you are…?”

            “Lonnie, remember?” Lonnie finished where Mal trailed off, not seeming the slightest bit fazed by the fact that Mal didn’t remember her. “We met over a week ago, I asked you about your hair.”

            “Right,” Mal had remembered that part, and definitely didn’t need to be reminded of the strange girl’s obsession with her hair.

            There was a pause in conversation, one where the blonde boy shifted uncomfortably while Lonnie seemed to be debating what to say next; Mal just wanted to leave. However, as soon as she took the first step away from the pair Lonnie suddenly seemed desperate to keep her around.

            “This is Chad,” Lonnie spoke quickly, reaching out to grab hold of Mal; but she seemed to recall their first conversation and pulled back her hand. “Chad Charming. He’s my boyfriend.”

            “That’s unfortunate,” Mal replied shortly before heading toward the stairs, completely prepared to use magic to get away from these two, if necessary.

            Thankfully, nothing else was said as she took the stairs two at a time. She already hadn’t been in the best of moods, and the fact that this Chad guy had found it an intelligent idea to challenge her had only managed to irk her even further. However, just as she blew out a breath of relief from her escape, her mood suddenly shifted to panic when she spotted blue hair down the hall. With her heart hammering violently against her chest, Mal swiftly threw herself around a corner and out of Evie’s sight as the girl passed through the hallway and down the stairs. Almost as if she were in a trance she found her legs carrying her up to the railing, her fingers sliding over the bar as her eyes tracked the girl’s every step.

            It was like she had no control over herself anymore, not when her brain was taking in the image of the beautiful, blue-haired Princess. Whenever she saw Evie her body reacted without her even understanding what was happening. When she looked into those unique red-brown eyes they tugged on her chest; when she witnessed the girl’s radiant smile she felt a light tickling sensation fluttering through her; when she read the pain in the girl’s life she felt a sickening twist in her stomach. She didn’t understand anything that happened to her when she was around Evie, but she also couldn’t stop it no matter how hard she tried, and all of it made her wish she had never formed the connection between them. _None of this would be happening if I hadn’t done that spell._

            Still, despite knowing she only felt these things due to the magical connection linking them to each other, she couldn’t help but lean her elbows on the railing in front of her as she watched the blue-haired beauty interact with the two people she had just left baffled by her behavior. A small smile crept into her expression when she saw Evie’s face light with delight, her luring eyes crinkling with joy as her stunning smile widened enough for anyone looking to see both sets of her teeth. Shortly after this, however, another shot of panic bolted through her stomach and she pushed away from the railing just in time. As she turned to continue her original journey she could feel the girl’s gaze lifting to land on her a split-second before she made it to an area she couldn’t be seen by her, and despite having been turned away when Evie had spotted her she could tell that the girl knew she had been watching.

            _Come on, Mal,_ she shook her head as she made her way down the empty hallway; _you came here to do something, and that something wasn’t stare at Evie._ Forcing the blue-haired girl from her mind she focused on the numbers labeling the doors in search of a specific one, and when she located it she tapped her knuckles loudly against the door, announcing her arrival. When the door was pulled open she found herself internally groaning.

            “What do you want?” Jay questioned, his voice making it clear that he was anything but friendly.

            “I want to talk to the little one,” Mal answered easily, lifting her arm to gesture to the boy that had just come into view behind Jay.

            “Are you kidding me?” Jay seemed bewildered, straightening his posture until he seemed to fill the entire doorway. “I thought I told you…”

            Mal held up her hand, using her magic to silence the long-haired boy suddenly; she hadn’t been willing to deal with Chad, and she _definitely_ wasn’t in the proper mood to deal with Jay. “Don’t waste your breath, boy. You told me to stay away from Evie, _not_ Carlos. So if I’m correct, and I always am, then I can talk to him anytime I wish.”

            Jay seemed angry, and also a little confused. He narrowed his eyebrows as Mal released him from the spell, but instead of arguing any further he merely grabbed his bag and threw it over his shoulder as he brushed passed her in the doorway, purposefully knocking her off balance. _Isn’t he quite the character,_ she mused as she stepped into the room, using the sole of her boot to kick the door closed behind her.

            She brought her gaze to meet Carlos’. “We need to talk.”

            Carlos nodded, though Mal could see the remaining terror present in his expression as he continued what he had been doing before she had arrived; which seemed to be collecting his school supplies together. A single bark made Mal glance toward the middle of the room, and just like she had expected she found the boy’s furry companion resting by the leg of the table.

            “You witnessed something you were probably better off never seeing in your entire life,” Mal started, surprisingly not referring to the death considering she figured the boy had already seen plenty of that with the way he had described his childhood. “But since you _did_ witness it, I feel it’s pointless trying to lie to you.”

            “You have magic,” Carlos finally spoke, voice not shaking, yet also not completely stable either.

            Mal nodded in confirmation, though she knew he didn’t need it. “Yes, I was born with it.”

            “Who were those men?” Carlos asked, seemingly no longer having the capability to hold back the questions overflowing his mind about last night. “Why were they trying to hurt me? Why did you want me to check on Evie?”

            Knowing she shouldn’t withhold any bit of information from him Mal answered all his questions the simplest, most straightforward way she could think of. “Those men were agents sent from an agency who collects one-of-a-kind artifacts, they were trying to hurt you to get you out of the way so they could kill me, and I wanted you to check on Evie because she’s the reason they’re here in Auradon. Just like me.”

            “Why would they want to kill you? And how is Evie the reason they’re even here in the first place?”

            “You sure ask a lot of intelligent questions, kid,” Mal laughed lightly, absent-mindedly brushing the sleeve of the jacket she wore. “Well, they want to kill me because I keep stopping them from killing Evie, who they’re here for because of that stupid little necklace that hangs around her neck every day.”

            “The necklace her mother gave her?” Carlos questioned, reaching up to scratch the back of his head in confusion, clearly not understanding why a family heirloom could be so important.

            “Yes, that exact necklace happens to be a powerful artifact that had been lost for hundreds of years,” Mal explained, though even she thought she sounded insane. “These agencies were only able to find it the day Evie got it from her mother because the necklace rightfully belongs to her. She’s the only one powerful enough to use it.”

            “Evie? Evie’s the only one powerful enough to use it?” Carlos seemed bewildered by the information, as well as amused by the thought that Evie possessed powerful magic. “She doesn’t have magic. I think I would know if she did.”

            “See, that’s the thing,” Mal slid her hands into the pockets of her leather jacket, one side of her mouth quirking into a smirk. “Evie doesn’t know either.”

            “So how do you?” He seemed almost defensive, as if he felt someone claiming his friend had magic was an insult.

            Mal gave him a pointed look, one that expressed how irritated she was getting. “Because we can sense each other. That’s not what matters here, though, I came to explain to you why what you saw had to happen. Why I had to kill those guys.”

            “Because they’re here to kill Evie, right? You said that earlier,” Carlos pointed out, dropping a few textbooks into a torn bag carelessly. “They want to kill Evie, but you keep killing them, so they sent some guys to kill you to free the path to Evie,” he shrugged nonchalantly, as if he hadn’t just explained the entire thing better than she had. “At least, that’s what I got out of this conversation.”

            “Good,” Mal breathed out, delighted that she didn’t have to spend any more time explaining it in a way that would keep the boy from turning her in. “Then we’re done here.”

            “Wait, hold up,” Carlos said suddenly, hoisting the bag onto his shoulder and making his way over to Mal where she had already pulled open the door, ready to exit. “Why are you here to protect her?”

            _Oh, right. I did leave that information out, didn’t I?_ “My _boss,_ ” she spoke the title through grit teeth, “…sent me to protect her.”

            “So you belong to one of these… artifact companies?” Carlos questioned unsurely, pulling his room door closed behind him and catching up to her again.

            “I don’t belong to _anyone_ ,” Mal’s eyes flashed, her magic flowing through her dangerously.

            Carlos’ step faltered, and his dog quickly came to wrap around his feet the best his small size would allow him to; an attempt to protect his master. Mal inhaled deeply, focusing on calming down by reminding herself that hurting the boy would be unnecessary, and certainly pointless.

            “Sorry,” Carlos apologized quickly, clearly having seen the dangerous flash in her eyes. “I didn’t… I mean… do you work for one of the agencies, or…?”

            “No need to make a fool of yourself,” Mal stated, continuing her way down the hallway and to the stairs, casting a quick side glance at the boy and deciding to re-word her sentence. “Well, at least more than you already normally do.”

            If he had been offended by her analyzation of him, he didn’t show it. Once again, the two of them walked side-by-side as they descended the stairs to reach the dorm lobby, a comfortable silence spreading through the air around them almost as if they had been friends for a great length of their lives. Mal didn’t like the silence being comfortable, disliking the idea of the boy being her friend; disliking the idea of _anyone_ being her friend.

            As they made their way to the main school building the loud, ecstatic chatter of many teenage girls rang through Mal’s ears, irritating her quickly, however, something inside the similar conversations they all seemed to be having caught her attention. _A dance? What’s a dance? Why are these girls so excited about it?_ And – though she didn’t enjoy the fact that it had been her first instinct – she shifted her attention back to the boy walking beside her.

            “What’s a dance?” Mal asked the small boy, nodding her head in the direction of the squealing horde of girls. “What are they so happy about?”

            Carlos glanced over at the girls, a light laugh escaping his lips soon after when he realized what she was asking. “Oh, um… it’s this event where the school meets up in the gymnasium and everyone dances, or socializes. I generally just find the food table and stay there for the entire event.”

            “That sounds excessively painful to live through,” Mal stated, facial expression taking on one of disgust as her gaze found the group another time.

            “It’s not all bad,” Carlos shrugged, making his way up the school stairs more slowly than Mal, and she found herself slightly aggravated having to wait for him to catch up, yet again. “You’re supposed to bring a date, and typically that makes things more fun.”

            This time, to ask her question, all Mal did was arch her eyebrow, and Carlos seemed to understand her perfectly; yet another factor about them that Mal quickly despised.

            “A date is someone you’re interested in, whether it be emotionally, or simply physical,” Carlos explained, obviously amused by the fact that Mal didn’t know any of this. “Though in Auradon physical attraction is never really enough, they’re all too _pure_ for that.”

            She couldn’t help it; she laughed at the way he spoke that descriptive word, finding that it was a real, genuine laugh. _Looks like the kid’s got some issues of his own with the belief system of these Auradians._ Though she hated to admit it, she was beginning to like this boy at a steadily increasing rate.

            “So, do you have a _date_?” The word just didn’t feel right in Mal’s mouth, and she felt strange letting it slip passed her lips.

            She didn’t know whether or not she was surprised when the boy nodded his head without a single moment of hesitation, but she knew she was definitely bewildered by his next words.

            “Evie is my date.”

            A sudden – and unfamiliar – sharpness overtook her chest as the idea sank into her mind, leaving her with an incredibly disturbing image of Carlos and the Princess. _No,_ she shook her head, unsure what to believe; _he doesn’t mean…_ but there was nothing else he could have possibly meant by those four mind-numbing words. Fortunately, this feeling didn’t last long, and she soon found herself confused and frustrated by having went through that experience at all. She had no idea what that random sensation meant, but she certainly knew she didn’t like it. _Why do I even care? I shouldn’t. I don’t._ She hoped she never went through that feeling again – no matter how brief – because she may not be familiar with it, but she did understand that it was one of those feelings that Evie coaxed from her that she never wanted to experience in her entire life, one that she should never experience.

            And that list was quickly becoming an overwhelmingly lengthy one.


	20. Chapter 20

**_(Evie)_ **

The incessant sound of light tapping was more than likely grinding the nerves of everyone in the room, but Evie couldn’t bring herself to mind the irritated glances sent her way, she was way too anxious waiting for a specific person’s arrival. There were far too many feelings constantly coursing through her whenever she thought of Mal; attraction, confusion, delight, frustration, hope, anger. And that definitely wasn’t the end of the list, she was positive the girl had already made her feel every emotion ever recognized and given a name, and then some. Currently, she was confused by the girl’s behavior this morning, and anxious for the girl’s arrival, thoughts of how she was going to attempt getting the girl’s attention running rampantly through her mind and creating the slightest ache in her temples.

            She didn’t know what to believe with the girl anymore. When she had seen the girl this morning it had only been a brief glance, but somehow she knew Mal had been watching her for some time before she had gotten the urge to glance upward. Despite having no actual information on what she had been doing that morning on the balcony of the dorm lobby, Evie couldn’t help but feel as though Mal had been hoping to avoid her. She had no idea where these sudden, strong feelings came from, or how she was always so sure they were correct, but with how often they were something she would rather not know about she was beginning to wish they would simply disappear.

            At some point between the last time she had spoken with the girl and this morning, Evie had decided to try to be more relaxed in her presence, showing more of herself than the cautious, nervous girl hoping to make a friend that she had been in the past. She didn’t know why her confidence waned with Mal, she just knew that it did, and that she wanted to push passed that awkward phase and move into comfortably being herself in front of the girl, something inside her telling her that it would be received better than the nervous façade.

            Her heart faltered and her fingers became immobile when a flash of purple caught her eye, and – making no attempt to act as though she hadn’t been waiting for the girl – she turned to face the table behind her as the girl dropped into her seat. _She’s wearing the jacket_. The sight of the neatly sewn replica molding to the girl’s shapely body placed a smile on her face, and she honestly couldn’t tell if it was because she was delighted the girl was wearing it, or if it was because she appreciated the way the material hugged her body perfectly. She decided it was both.

            When Mal arched her eyebrow, Evie snapped herself out of the inappropriate thoughts bombarding her mind to lift her gaze to the girl’s eyes instead of her body. _Goodness, it might be a lot harder to think of her as just a friend._ She knew she’d be capable of doing it, she just didn’t know if she could control her mind from delving to places it shouldn’t with the girl.

            “You’re here,” those definitely weren’t the words she had been preparing for the last ten minutes, and she nearly groaned at how idiotic she sounded; nearly.

            “Great observation,” Mal replied, leaning her elbows on the surface of the table.

            _Good job, Evie,_ she scolded herself. Despite the feeling coursing through her that made her wish she could curl into herself, she held Mal’s fierce stare, the intensity quickly reeling her into a daze. _Those eyes._ She couldn’t help it, Mal’s eyes were just too enticing for her.

            “You feeling any better?” Evie cleared her throat, lowering her gaze to where the girl’s fingers lightly scratched the marble table.

            “I was feeling better yesterday, but that didn’t stop that woman from keeping me locked away in the infirmary,” Mal’s voice held anger, and lots of it, but it wasn’t targeted toward Evie.

            “You weren’t technically _locked_ in there,” Evie stated calmly despite knowing disagreeing with the girl was often a terrible idea. “You could have left at any time.”

            There was a bright flash in Mal’s eyes, the bright-green flickering with a deeper, more vibrant shade. Evie found that she had to stop herself from leaning her elbows on the table as well, her desire to get physically closer to the girl surpassing her mission to get emotionally close, in that moment. _Come on, Evie, you’re not like this,_ she reminded herself, clearing her mind; _you’re the one who flusters people, not the other way around._

            Before she could open her mouth to say something else she caught a glimpse of the girl behind the effective mask she constantly had thrown up, reminding her of the time in the infirmary when she had managed to break through completely. Confusion had taken place of the dangerous flash of unusual green, making it seem as though she were bewildered by something Evie had done; or something she hadn’t done.

            “I know the feeling though,” Evie continued, deciding to ignore the look despite her craving to know what it meant. “I don’t particularly enjoy being in the infirmary either.”

            “You’ve been in there?” Mal questioned, seeming genuinely surprised.

            “That’s an odd question to be asking me since I was obviously in there with you,” Evie replied smoothly.

            Mal narrowed her eyes. “You’re annoying.”

            “So are you,” Evie responded honestly, knowing they meant it in completely different ways.

            “Then why do you keep talking to me?” Mal asked, her voice clipped and venomous.

            Evie shrugged, trying her best to seem unfazed. “Because I want to be your friend.”

            “You make no sense,” Mal stated.

            “And neither do you,” one corner of Evie’s mouth quirked upward as she finally gave into her urges, pressing her elbows into the cold surface of the table and leaning forward until there were only five inches separating their faces, maximum. “Are you going to talk to me? Or are you going to continue acting as though you don’t need anyone in this place?”

            Considering how nervous she had been for Mal’s arrival she had no clue where this confidence had come from, but the way she responded to the girl in that moment was the way she spoke to others, so she was more delighted than confused that she was succeeding in her decision to act more normal with the girl. Before now, she had always side-stepped around the girl as if it were a routine, cautious not to press her the wrong way, but now she seemed to be returning to herself with ease, the girl’s beauty definitely still affecting her, but in a different way. She was attempting to get under the girl’s skin in a different way than offering her everything she might possibly want.

            They held gazes, neither one backing away or closing the remaining distance. Evie could see the way Mal’s jaw clenched, her teeth clearly grinding together in her closed mouth, but she could also see the slightest glint of something else in those breathtaking green eyes, something that resembled confused pain. Instead of asking Mal to divulge everything that was hurting her like she had done every time before, she simply arched her eyebrow, somehow knowing that being herself would get more information from the girl in the long-run. Once again, she had no idea why she felt so sure of this.

            Unfortunately, the last bell rang and the teacher stepped forward to begin the lesson, meaning they would get in trouble if they remained the way they were. And so, offering Mal a soft smile, Evie pushed away from the table and turned around in her seat to face the front of the class, well aware that the girl continued staring at her even as the teacher explained what they would be doing today. With the light prickling of the right side of her face she could tell that Doug was also watching her, and she glanced over at the boy and offered him a smile as well.

            Once the teacher had finished describing the lab they were to be completing in the next forty minutes, Evie immediately began gathering the needed materials, only stopping when the teacher spoke again.

            “I know we’ve all already got our partners, but can someone please split off to pair up with the new student? Help her understand everything she’s missed.”

            There was no hesitation in the raise of Evie’s hand. “I’d be delighted to help Mal.”

            Part of the reason she had used Mal’s name was because – as it would if it had been anyone else – she was offended the teacher had called her ‘the new student’; and the other half was because she enjoyed letting the girl’s name roll off her tongue more than she probably should. _You don’t want to date her, Evie,_ she told herself, feeling the need to remind herself since her body definitely wanted to pursue the girl; _you just want to become her friend._ Despite knowing that was true, she couldn’t stop the section of her mind that added; _for now._

            “Thank you, Evie,” the teacher looked appreciative, and Evie was pretty sure everyone knew it was because he didn’t want to have to work with Mal himself; she already had quite the reputation of finding trouble.

            Sliding from her seat, she left the materials she had already gathered on the table as she hooked her fingers around the straps of her bag and hoisted it over her shoulder to make her way to the table behind her. Ever since she had turned to face the front of the classroom the burn from Mal’s stare hadn’t disappeared, and, as she turned around again, her gaze was immediately met by bright-green, flashing eyes. There was a dangerous look swirling around the girl’s eyes, but it didn’t frighten Evie, and she noticed the slight glint of confusion flash through the anger once again, leaving her wondering why it continued happening.

            “What, did you already miss me?” Mal questioned through grit teeth.

            Evie knew she was being sarcastic, but at the same time she was enjoying working the girl up too much to not accept the perfect offer she had handed to her. “You’re very easy to miss, Mal.”

            “I’m sure,” Mal deadpanned, reaching to the bottom of her chair to scoot it further away from the one Evie plopped herself down into.

            “Okay, do you have any idea what he was saying?” Evie questioned, deciding to move the conversation more into work than unfriendly banter.

            “No, and I don’t care to,” Mal replied, once again leaning her elbows on the surface of the table.

            “You sure do have impeccable interest in school,” Evie said sarcastically as she reached forward to begin gathering the materials for the second time that morning.

            However, her movements briefly faltered when snorted laughter reached her ears, and – the corners of her mouth curving upward – she glanced over at the girl beside her using mostly her peripheral vision, noting the way Mal was trying to cover the fact she had laughed. _Why are you so against being my friend? What is it about me that you dislike?_ She wanted to ask the girl these questions, however, despite the fact that she had finally managed to be herself, she found herself too nervous to be that blunt with the girl, and so she remained silent as she began working, having little issue with completing the lab herself.

            Though she felt a sharp sting from the harsh way Mal spoke to her she couldn’t bring herself to be surprised. If considering the way she had treated the girl that Monday before Mal dropped to the ground before her unconscious, not even blissful ignorance could make her surprised. If anything, she deserved this kind of treatment, but that didn’t stop her from wishing the girl would talk to her the way she had in the infirmary before everything had happened, before something had seemingly possessed her.

            It seemed that – despite the fact that Mal had done nothing but reply sharply and insult her – she couldn’t seem to stand the thickening silence between them.

            “What are you even doing?” Mal questioned, shifting in a way that let Evie know she was uncomfortable sitting so close to her.

            “The lab,” Evie answered, not taking her eyes off the work she was doing.

            “Thanks for that answer, smartass,” Mal rolled her eyes, letting an irritated huff of air escape her lips. “You know what I meant.”

            Evie did, she just didn’t want to answer the question. Instead, she stopped her work to look over at the girl. “I’m afraid I don’t.”

            “Come on, Evie,” Mal’s voice was a whispered hiss, a sound that most people would fear; but Evie didn’t, not even the slightest bit. “I know you’re smart, so stop playing this bullshit and answer the question.”

            Evie could see the burning fury present in the girl’s eyes, but she could also see the wonder, the confusion. It was obvious to her that she was a wonder to Mal, and for some reason she wanted Mal to try harder to understand her, to sneak inside of her and settle in. Well aware that the girl had proved an ability to read what was present in her eyes, Evie turned away from Mal and back to the equipment in front of her, not wanting her to see the desperation in her eyes. However, as she shifted, her gaze slid over the boy she had left by himself, and she couldn’t help but glance upward to find that he had carried his chair to the opposite side of the table, earning a perfect view of them. He was watching them. At first, she worried he felt abandoned, and that he believed she was ignoring him because of the invitation to the dance, but then she noticed something that irked her.

            He wasn’t watching them, or even just her; he was watching Mal. Closely, to be exact, closely and with caution. She was tired of everyone disliking Mal, tired of everyone being wary of her every move. She just didn’t see how the girl could be dangerous. In all honesty, Mal seemed more harmless than Evie herself did, more talk than actual action. _If you treat someone a certain way because you’re expecting them to act in a way that deserves that judgment, then they’ll eventually start acting like that._ Her eyes narrowed the slightest bit when Doug failed to tear his gaze from Mal; _if you treat someone like a villain, then they’ll act like a villain._

            Just then, a dull throb settled against her chest, mimicking the throb of the temples when someone got overwhelmingly angry. And she was angry, furious, though she didn’t understand how she could have become this emotional within a short period of time. The pulsing intensified, its wiry fingers reaching through the shield of her chest and wrapping around her heart to increase her bubbling anger as she watched the way Doug’s eyes shifted with Mal’s movement. She watched as his body stiffened seconds before she felt a light grip on her arm, the unexpected contact causing her to bring her gaze to meet green, the girl’s eyes calming her down immediately, quickly draining every ounce of unnecessary anger from her body.

            Her heart skipped a beat when she noticed the way Mal’s pupils dilated the slightest bit, well aware that pupils grew in size when there was attraction present. She internally scolded herself; _pupils also change size according to the light._ She tried not to think about the fact that the light was the same intensity throughout the room, and that one’s pupils would remain the same size no matter which way they were facing. She tried not to think about the possibility of Mal clipping her words because she was afraid of being interested in her. She tried not to think of what it might feel like to press her lips to those inviting plump ones. She tried not to think of anything as she stared into the girl’s bright-green eyes, the anger from earlier having vanished from them to leave behind curiosity, and what Evie read to be worry.

            _Was that…?_ With the arm that wasn’t currently gripped by Mal, Evie reached up to slide the necklace into her palm, finding it completely dormant. _It had to be,_ she thought, shaking her head; _I wouldn’t ever get that angry with Doug._ Yes, his dislike of Mal irked her, but she wouldn’t ever allow herself to get that worked up about it, instead she would work to change his opinion of her. It was like that time with Audrey; despite how much Audrey annoyed her she would never actually hurt the girl, let alone attempt to kill her – which is what those roots had seemed to be trying to do. The necklace was taking over her, making her dangerous to be around, and yet she couldn’t bring herself to remove it. It had too strong of a hold on her.

********

When the lunch bell rang signaling the end of the fourth class, Evie hurried to shove her books into her bag in an organized manner, having spaced out for the second part of class. It was hard enough to believe Mal had all the same classes as her before lunch, and it definitely didn’t help that the girl seemed to be constantly staring at her, the lure of meeting those irresistible green eyes often too tempting for her; though she wouldn’t want to admit that to anyone. However, despite having spent the entire class staring at her with a narrowed gaze, Mal immediately shot from her seat once the bell sounded through the room and made her way toward the door, leaving Evie highly confused about what was going through the girl’s head; again.

            Once she had managed to get everything back into her bag she threw the strap over her shoulder and hurried after the purple-haired girl, hoping to catch up to her, which didn’t prove too difficult despite the girl having been the first one out of the classroom.

            “Hey,” Evie fell in step with Mal, her movements more graceful than the girl beside her. “Why don’t you ever bring anything to class?”

            “Because I don’t plan on doing anything,” Mal replied with little hesitation, stopping her steps abruptly. “Why are you following me?”

            Evie stopped as well, a few steps ahead of Mal. “I’m not following you,” she laughed lightly, though she knew it was debatable. “I’m walking _with_ you. In fact, I was just going to invite you to have lunch with me.”

            “As tempting as that sounds,” Mal started, the sarcasm lacing her voice pricking Evie’s chest. “I’d rather not.”

            By this point – after four classes spent with the girl – Evie was growing irritated, completely and utterly frustrated by Mal’s behavior toward her. She no longer knew what to do, what to try in her attempt to get the girl to become her friend, and that frustration pushed her temporarily over the edge.

            “Just tell me why,” Evie huffed in exasperation, finally allowing her desperation to seep through into her voice.

            “Tell you why I won’t have lunch with you?” Mal arched her eyebrow; voice steady, movements awkward.

            “You know what I mean, Mal,” Evie stated, knowing it wasn’t a lie; she could see it in the girl’s eyes.

            “I’m afraid I don’t,” Mal whispered, repeating Evie’s earlier lie back to her, green eyes looking completely different with fear present in them.

            “Tell me why you don’t like me,” Evie further detailed despite knowing she didn’t actually need to. She stepped closer to her, invading her personal space. “That’s all you have to do. Just tell me why you’re so against being my friend, and I’ll leave you alone.”

            Those words started what felt like the longest silence they had ever had spreading between them, it somehow feeling thicker with the shortened distance. Neither girl looked away, their gazes holding strongly as if they had been permanently locked together, forever doomed to remain studying each other for the rest of their lives.

            Mal said nothing, she didn’t even try.

            The only thing that broke them apart was the sound of Jay’s voice, the boy calling for Evie’s attention, anger evident in his voice.

            “Yeah,” Evie breathed out quietly, well aware that the girl could feel her breath on her face. “I didn’t think you could.”

            And with that, Evie tore her gaze from Mal’s and head toward Jay, leaving the girl to stand there staring after her as she came to a halt in front of the boy. She could tell he was angry that she had been talking to Mal, and she knew it was because he didn’t trust the girl, but she didn’t care; she ignored it.

            “Ready for lunch?” Evie asked, the look present in her eyes daring Jay to bring up the fact that she had been talking to Mal. She wasn’t in the mood to be questioned by any of her friends.

            “Yeah,” Jay replied, seemingly seeing the silent threat swirling around her eyes.

            Just like every other day, Evie and Jay made their way through the line together and journeyed to the table to sit down, Doug and Carlos already eating their food. Evie sat down next to Carlos and across from Doug, well aware that if she sat beside the nerdy boy he would bring up the topic of Mal.

            “Hey, how was your day so far?” Carlos asked her, scratching Dude with one hand and using the other to eat.

            “It was alright,” Evie answered honestly, situating herself more comfortably on the bench.

            However, as she shifted her gaze landed on someone sitting down at one of the tables nearest them. Mal’s gaze met hers almost immediately after she sat, almost as if she had sat in that particular spot just to gain Evie’s attention; _well, good job, Mal. It worked._ She was angry with the girl, but also in the middle of a rush from the knowledge that the girl hadn’t been able to give her even a single reason why she didn’t want her around. There was a part of Mal that had admitted she liked Evie in at least a small way, and now that Evie knew that she planned on reaching that part of the girl and spreading it to the rest of her. She wanted the girl to like her, and she would try everything she could to get to that point, or until Mal _could_ give her a reason for disliking her.

            “How was yours?” Evie asked the boy, tearing her gaze away from Mal so she could look at Carlos.

            “Pretty good, actually,” Carlos replied, chuckling softly. “I got an A on my first engineering project.”

            “Of course you did,” Jay smiled brightly, reaching across the table to lightly punch Carlos’ shoulder in congratulations. “You’re a genius when it comes to building stuff.”

            Evie chose this moment to zone out of the conversation, not being able to stop her gaze from wandering back to the purple-haired girl sitting at the table behind Jay and Doug. Mal was no longer looking at her, but that didn’t stop her from watching the girl as she ate her food, well aware that it was creepy, but not caring.

            It was a nudge on her hand holding the fork that brought her back to the conversation, only to realize that Jay had noticed where she was staring and was now – once again – angry. “Would you stop staring at her? Why are you even so interested in this girl?”

            Evie shrugged, playing dumb as she had all last year. “I just want to get along with my roommate, Jay.”

            “Well, staring at her isn’t going to get her to like you,” Jay stated, glancing over his shoulder at the girl in question. “In fact, I don’t think anything can get her to like you. It doesn’t seem like she likes anyone.”

            “That’s not true,” Carlos chimed in, swallowing his food before continuing. “She’s nice to me.”

            This information startled Evie, and she found her gaze traveling back to the purple-haired girl. _So it_ is _just me,_ she thought those words as if she were speaking to the girl; _you have no issue being nice to Carlos, so what is it about me that makes you act the way you do?_ She had already stumped the girl by asking her to name the reason why she disliked her, but she had no idea how to go about getting her to explain why she was so hesitant to let her in.

            “Evie!” Jay snapped again, knocking his fist against the table to get her attention. “Give it a rest.”

            Evie tore her gaze from the girl to meet Jay’s, heat rushing through her body in the form of anger. _No,_ she tightly gripped the necklace; _I won’t let you do this to me again._ Forcing herself to take calming breaths, she nodded at Jay, deciding to listen to him for the remainder of lunch. However, that seemed to be impossible the second another figure caught her eye, and she looked up to find Ben sliding onto the bench opposite from Mal, not blocking her view of the girl, but effectively stealing her undivided attention, much to Jay’s displeasure.

 

**_(Mal)_ **

The second someone walked into her clear path of Evie anger began flowing through her, only intensifying when she realized who it was. _So,_ King _, we meet again. What are the chances._ Though it wasn’t merely by chance, the boy seemed to be seeking her out every day. In a way, he was doing the same exact thing Evie was doing, but the borderline stalker feeling was more welcome from Evie than it was from the sandy-haired boy.

            “How have you been?” Ben asked, that everlasting smile quickly crawling unpleasantly under Mal’s skin.

            “If I have to hear one more person ask me that today, I’m going to punch them in the throat,” Mal growled through grit teeth, already despising those four words strung together.

            “I’m going to assume that means you’re feeling much better,” Ben laughed awkwardly, her violent nature clearly making him uncomfortable.

            _Good,_ she thought about his discomfort; _maybe he’ll learn to leave me alone_. However, when she went to glance over the boy’s shoulder to find Evie’s gaze again she noticed something else; the majority of the courtyard was watching them curiously. That’s when the realization hit her, making her feel nauseated within seconds. _Everyone is suspicious of me_. She remembered that Head had told her to stay out of everyone’s suspicion; _well, I’ve clearly fucked that up along with most of the bullet points of the mission._ She wondered if there was anything she could do to change that fact. Just then, her gaze slid back over the boy directly in front of her, the over-sized crown resting on his head tempting her to laugh. _No, not going to happen._

            “Anyway, I assume someone’s told you about the dance tomorrow?” Ben questioned, stealing her attention from her own mind.

            “It’s been mentioned,” Mal answered honestly, lifting one of her eyebrows in curiosity; _why is he bringing up the dance?_

            “Well,” Ben began, his gaze finally averting to where his hands rested on the table, a light chuckle escaping his lips as if he found something he shouldn’t entertaining, as if she had said something amusing, yet inappropriate. “I know you’re not really fond of me, but I was wondering if you would maybe want to attend the dance with me? So we could get to know each other better.”

            As if it were a reflex, Mal parted her lips to throw an insult his direction, however, she found the will to stop herself, the prickling sensation of multiple pairs of eyes watching her once again catching her attention and reminding her that she needed to be careful. _Okay,_ she blew out a breath; _how do you turn someone down nicely?_ Just as she thought of something to say, a luring pull forced her to lift her gaze to meet red-brown eyes that often haunted her mind, effectively silencing her again. She held Evie’s gaze, and her mind wandered to this morning as she remembered Carlos telling her he was going to the dance with Evie. Something unfamiliar surged through her and she snapped her gaze back to Ben’s, finding that the hazel lacked something as she parted her lips to say something that twisted her stomach.

            “Yes,” Mal answered. “I will go to the dance with you.”


	21. Chapter 21

**_(Mal)_ **

_I can’t believe I’m doing this._

            Mal was definitely regretting everything that had occurred leading to this point of her life, the point where she was getting ready to attend a high school dance with a King. It all sounded ridiculous and amusing if she took the time to think about it, after all, the amusement started with the fact that a King was even attending a school dance in the first place. _One would think he had more important things to do for his Kingdom._ She despised the idea of a single person making every decision for an entire land, and she definitely possessed a burning hatred for others giving her orders; she never listened to anyone else, no matter how royal.

            She sighed, scratching something off the leather covering her arm as she thought about the dance with utter disinterest. _He’s going to ask me to dance with him,_ she knew he would, after all, she figured that’s where the event’s name had come from; _I don’t dance. Ever._ Though she definitely wasn’t too caught up on disappointing the King she didn’t wish to draw any more attention to herself. It would already be difficult enough attempting to continue her mission with everyone as interested in her as they were now, let alone the attention she would get if she mistreated Auradon’s King in public another time. She groaned, _I’m going to have to dance, aren’t I?_

            Just as she moved over to drop herself onto her bed a flash of blue in her peripheral vision stole her attention, and as she shifted her gaze to look at the girl she knew she’d find she quickly found that her attention wasn’t the only thing that would be stolen in that moment. Her breath hitched in her throat the second she laid eyes on Evie, the elegant dress hugging her body as if it had been made only for her to wear – which she wouldn’t be surprised if it had been. The blue was just bright enough to draw people’s attention, but also dark enough to stay in line with her usual color. And it complimented the tanned skin revealed by the material. When Mal noticed the skin showing around the girl’s waist she found herself having to force a thick lump down her throat.

            Every feeling rushing through her body and every thought bombarding her mind both terrified and confused her, and she honestly didn’t know what to think in that moment. _Is it even fair how abnormally fucking attractive she is?_ Mal didn’t think it was. She had never found herself lured in by _anyone_ before when considering everything about them, and she had certainly never been reeled toward a person simply because of their appearance, but Evie… something was different about her. It was as if she hadn’t been capable of putting up a fight when Evie circled a rope around her, as if she had been ecstatic when a knot had been tied into it to ensure she stayed where the girl wanted her to. _No,_ she shook her head, tearing her gaze from the beautiful girl; _you don’t get attracted to_ anyone _, she’s no different. She’s just another person in the game of life._ She didn’t need anyone mentally _or_ physically, and she would never let a princess, of all people, trick her into believing otherwise. _I’m only thinking about her because of her beauty, nothing else._

            But still, as she scolded herself for even allowing Evie to constantly invade her mind, her gaze flickered back over to the girl as if there was an unseen magnetic pull between them. _Fuck, she’s… no!_ A low growl filled her ears as she swirled the inside of her lip between her teeth in frustration. However, despite this frustration and anger, her eyes remained locked on the girl across the room as she studied herself in the mirror, fixing any flaws she saw in her outfit. With the girl distracted, Mal took the time to study her in the same way she was surveying the dress, looking for any visible flaws. _Well, there is…_ no. _Actually…_ no. _Her…_ no. Her jaw clenched as her teeth locked together, frustration boiling through her because the girl seemed to possess all the beauty offered in the land.

            Somehow, she knew Evie was going to turn before she did, but she still just barely ripped her gaze from the girl before she felt eyes burning through the skin on the side of her face, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out that she had been caught. She felt a heat settling underneath the skin of her cheeks, and she prayed that it was simply discomfort from being watched by the girl; she wasn’t stupid, though, she knew it wasn’t the reason. She chanced glancing back at the girl through her peripherals, but she only found the anger inside her growing when she noted the smirk tugging the girl’s lips, and how it seemed to only make her more attractive.

            She snapped. “Something I can help you with?”

            “No,” Evie answered calmly, moving to the middle of the room to place her hands delicately on the back of one of the chairs. “But it looks like you could use some help.”

            “What are you talking about?” Mal questioned, making sure to keep her voice hard, void of emotion.

            Evie laughed lightly, seeming amused. “Don’t tell me you haven’t ever been to a dance before,” there was a playful hint to her voice as her lips quirked upward even more. “I would be _so_ surprised.”

            _Okay,_ Mal thought to herself as her eyes narrowed after hearing the thick sarcasm in the girl’s voice; _you’re pushing your limit here, girl._ “Would you just tell me what I’m doing wrong.”

            “The outfit,” Evie replied, fingers drumming lightly on the chair before she pushed away from the table, beginning to make her way over to Mal. “You don’t wear your everyday attire to a dance.”

            “Well, I’m not changing, if that’s what you’re suggesting,” Mal stated, scanning Evie’s outfit another time now that she was closer. “There’s no way I’m wearing anything like what you’re wearing.”

            “You’re being too close-minded, Mal,” Evie sighed as she reached her bed, sitting down beside her without seeming to think twice about it.

            “Hey!” Mal shot to her feet, turning quickly so she was facing the girl. “I didn’t say you could do that.”

            Evie quirked her eyebrow. “I apologize, but it _is_ my room as well,” she followed Mal to her feet, cautiously stepping toward her. “I just want to help you.”

            “I don’t need your help,” Mal spoke through grit teeth, shoving away the part of her mind that threatened to prove her wrong. _I’m getting real tired of this connection speaking to me._

            Evie opened her mouth to respond, worry evident in her eyes with perfect clarity, but a sudden knock on the door caused her to bring her lips back together as her gaze flickered toward the door. Mal, however, didn’t take her eyes off of Evie. She didn’t know if she could. And so, she watched the girl as she made her way over to the door and pulled it open, a smile instantly forming on her lips when she saw whoever stood on the other side of the door. _Probably Carlos,_ Mal thought bitterly, though she wasn’t entirely sure why.

            “Hey, Evie,” Carlos’ voice floated through the room to meet Mal’s ears, proving her guess correct. “You ready?”

            Instead of answering, Evie glanced over her shoulder at Mal, and the latter’s spine stiffened at the watchful gaze of the girl. _Why are you looking at me?_ He’s _the one you’re caught up in._ It wasn’t like she cared, but for some reason she couldn’t seem to banish the thought of the two being in love from her mind. As she finally decided to meet the girl’s gaze one last time she found something clenching around her chest at what she saw. There was no denying what the look present in Evie’s eyes meant, but Mal still found herself searching for an alternative before even _thinking_ about accepting the idea that Evie craved to stay with her instead of head to the dance with Carlos. _What goes on inside that head of yours?_ She wanted to know, and she hated that.

            “Go on,” Mal spoke without thinking about what she was saying. “Don’t leave your little _prince_ waiting.”

            Something flickered through red-brown eyes, and Mal could tell there was a whole other world of things Evie wanted to say to her, but the blue-haired girl merely shook her head and exited the room, closing the door softly behind her. An unfamiliar feeling washed over her, the majority of it targeting her chest, and she had no idea what any of it meant, but she did know that her spirits lowered with the presence of the feeling; and she soon found herself wishing she could bury herself under the covers of her bed and waste the night away alone. The worst part of it was that she knew the feeling was her own.

            What belonged to the connection came next, and it quickly had Mal on the ground, fingernails digging into the carpeting of the floor as the pain molted her chest, scorching it until it felt as though there was nothing left. She dreaded what was coming, well aware that every time they left each other with unresolved anger it worsened. As if summoned by her terror of it, a new intensity of pain tore through every fiber of her body, causing her arms and legs to buckle underneath the weight that now seemed like too much, placing her flat against the floor. Hands clenched, teeth broke skin, eyes shut, and a body curled until the pain subsided, and Mal quickly wrapped her arms around her shaking body, feeling utterly helpless in that moment.

            Her breath came through her parted lips heavily, and her eyes burned the second she revealed them to the air in the room again, a single tear slipping from the corner and traveling down her temple to dissolve in her hairline. Once she felt she could move again she dug her fingers into the ground and pulled herself over to her bed, ripping her sheets from the bed carelessly until she found the item she was searching for. Flipping through the pages rapidly she located the spell she had enveloped herself and Evie in, and her heart stopped in her chest when she read the notes at the very bottom.

            _If the connection is temporarily severed by unresolved anger or frustration more than three times, then the connection will be lost. The fourth break will result in the deepest pain, and will leave no trace of the connection behind._

            Mal’s lips parted, but no sound came out. She slammed the book shut and curled into herself with a fear she hadn’t felt in years. Their first meeting, the infirmary, and just now; they had reached their limit. The next time this happened would be the last, and the most painful by far. From the description, it was a pain no one wanted to feel, a pain that could threaten someone’s health, and possibly even their life. And it sickened her that she wasn’t only worried about herself, but Evie as well.

            There were only two other ways to break the spell, and neither were possible. She wouldn’t – she _couldn’t_ – fall in love with Evie, and she was nowhere near being strong enough to break the connection magically. It was ridiculous in her opinion, that someone could be strong enough to form the connection, but too weak to break it.

            A tapping rang through the room and startled Mal, prompting her to lift her head from the bed and stare at the door. _That’ll be Ben,_ she thought, suddenly even more desperate to call everything off. But she knew she couldn’t. And so she forced herself to her feet, reaching up to wipe the burning tears from her eyes before making her way to the door slowly, unsure whether or not her legs were currently strong enough to hold her for longer than a minute. She pulled the door open with a deep breath, her fingers gripping the doorknob tight enough to whiten her knuckles.

            “Are you ready?” Ben asked, his smile bright even as he took in her attire.

            Before he could say anything, Mal told him the truth. “It was short notice; I don’t have anything else to wear.”

            “I think you look beautiful,” Ben replied, surprising her completely. He bowed low to her – making her uncomfortable – before extending his arm. “May I?”

            For some reason, Mal didn’t hesitate before slipping her arm into his, and she only found herself more disappointed in herself when she realized the contact calmed her. _It’s only because I lost hold of reality back there,_ she told herself, believing it without further convincing.

********

The first emotion that tugged at her was disgust, but as she took a moment to properly take in the decorations she found herself snorting with light laughter instead. That got Ben’s attention, but the words that came from his mouth weren’t the ones she was expecting.

            “It’s a bit much, isn’t it?” Ben questioned, absorbing everything around them as he spoke, arm still warm against Mal’s. “The decoration committee never seem to think small for our dances.”

            “Do I know anyone on the decoration committee?” Mal asked, keeping to herself that she believed it ridiculous to have a committee dedicated to decorating the school for certain occasions.

            “Maybe. Lonnie is in charge of it, I’m sure you know her, she’s quite talkative,” Ben used his free arm to direct her gaze toward the tall girl standing in the corner, the blonde boy Mal had had a run in with the other day by her side.

            “Yeah,” Mal breathed under her breath, hoping the boy wouldn’t wave the couple over. “I’m aware of her.”

            “Evie helps out occasionally,” Ben revealed as they moved further into the overly crowded room. “But she usually focuses more on her studies than anything else.”

            _I’m not surprised,_ Mal thought, quickly glancing around the room to make sure the blue-haired girl was nowhere near her; she didn’t see her. She sighed in relief, _the last thing I need is her making my night even more complicated than it already is._ And that’s all the girl seemed to do, make her life more complicated.

            Mal had been so caught up in her thoughts drifting to familiar territory with Evie that she hadn’t registered Ben’s arm sliding from hers, or the boy stopping directly in front of her. After colliding with him she stepped back a few times, clearing her throat awkwardly and keeping her gaze locked on the ground, her dirty, worn combat boots in the bottom of her vision. When the boy bowed low to her for the second time that day it only managed to make her more uncomfortable than she already was, and when his hand was offered to her she snapped her head up to meet his gaze, studying hazel.

            “May I have this dance, my lady?” Ben questioned, joy sparkling in his eyes as he smiled at her.

            She was lost for words with the way he had addressed her, and she knew that she more than likely looked like a complete idiot with her mouth open the slightest bit, her eyes staring at the boy bent before her. She didn’t understand him. She didn’t understand how he could not only be so calm with the way she often treated him, but that he could also see her as anything more than a misbehaved girl who grew up on the streets. _My lady? I’m probably the furthest thing from._

            But she took his hand without looking anywhere else in the room, hesitantly sliding her fingers over his hand so he could close his fingers around her smaller ones. He stood back up to his full height, and it was the first time she let herself register just how tall he was. His smile never faded as he guided her to the edge of the dance floor, clearly not wanting to be the center of attention by sneaking his way to the middle, and pulled her close to his body. And she let him guide her further, allowing one arm to be persuaded around his neck while the other ended with her hand tangled with his, her feet and body beginning to move clumsily as he eased her through a slow dance.

            “Is this your first dance?” Ben asked casually, no sign of judgement in his voice.

            “It’s my first school, what do you think?” Mal replied, surprising herself with the lack of disgust or venom present in her words; it was just simple sarcasm.

            Ben chuckled, the corners of his eyes crinkling at the action. “You’re doing great. Most people trip over their own feet by now.”

            Something inside Mal warmed at his words, not because she was glad she wasn’t doing terrible, but because he felt the need to reassure her that she wasn’t embarrassing him. However, she knew she would never allow him to know the feeling he had coaxed from her, so she simply offered him a quiet ‘thanks’.

            She had no idea how long they danced, the music not registering to her, but when Ben slowed them to stop and gave her hand a little squeeze she found herself releasing a heavy breath of relief, which he seemed to hear.

            “Don’t like dancing?” Ben asked, beginning to make his way to the refreshment table; she followed.

            “No, not really,” Mal answered honestly, having figured she wouldn’t enjoy the hobby before ever doing it. “It’s not really my thing.”

            “What _is_ your thing?” Ben questioned as he handed her a cup filled with a red liquid she had never seen before. “I don’t really know anything about you, and that’s why I suggested we attend this dance together, to get to know you better. So tell me something about yourself.”

            She played it cautious as she took a small sip from the cup; _it seems okay._ What wasn’t okay was that Ben wanted her to tell him something about herself. She didn’t like that idea one bit, but still, she searched her brain for something she could tell him without giving too much away. She even considered lying for a moment, but only a brief one.

            “My middle name is Bertha,” she found herself saying, and she was surprised she even remembered that bit of information; though not nearly as surprised as she was about her mother even taking the time to give her a middle name.

            To no surprise, Ben laughed. “Bertha?”

            “I know, it’s terrible,” Mal stated, regretting that she had told him despite the light laugh that managed to escape her lips.

            “Mine’s Florian,” Ben replied without seeming to think about it.

            Mal raised her head so she could look at the boy, finding that a small smile curved the corners of her mouth when their gazes met. “Florian? That’s pretty bad, too. Very Kingly.”

            “Well,” Ben laughed, his gaze averting to the ground as his cheeks seemed to change colors. “At least it’s not as bad as Bertha.”

            The smile manipulating Mal’s mouth only grew after that, and she found herself with a new respect for the boy – though she would never admit it to anyone.

            “Would you excuse me for a moment?” Ben asked as he carefully placed his cup back on the table before straightening his overcoat.

            Mal nodded, remaining silent as she raised the cup to her lips for a second drink, watching as the boy smiled politely and made his way through the crowd to a different door than the one they had arrived through. She didn’t even have time to turn back the way she had been originally facing while conversing with Ben before someone else appeared in her vision, and she could immediately tell it wasn’t a friendly approach.

            “Now you’re working on Ben?”

            It was Jay, and he was visibly seething.

            “What are you talking about?” Mal questioned, her disposition instantly shifting.

            “First Evie, now Ben? Who’s next?” Jay pushed on, arms crossed over his chest while his fingers clasped tightly to his shirt.

            “Excuse you, but Ben _asked_ me to this dance,” Mal explained through grit teeth, suddenly furious with the idea that people thought she was using Ben; _well, I am, but they shouldn’t know that._ “It’s not like me to say no to someone so kind and handsome.”

            Her response – like she knew it would – only made the boy angrier than he had been when he approached, and his hands immediately dropped back to his sides and curled into fists.

            “I may not be able to control anything Ben does, but I can still keep my friends safe from you,” Jay practically growled, his anger attracting the people nearest them. “I’m going to warn you one last time, then I promise you our next conversation won’t be any form of pleasant,” there was a small pause before he continued. “ _Stay away_ from Evie.”

            “I think you should talk to _her_ about staying away from _me_ ,” Mal responded, eyes narrowing at the boy.

            Her spine straightened defensively when Jay took a sudden step toward her, but she wasn’t prepared for the boy to reach forward and grab hold of her collar.

            Jay lowered his voice to a growl. “I don’t think you heard me correctly. If I see you with Evie one more time, you’ll regret ever coming to Auradon.”

            Rage flooded through her and she closed her fingers around Jay’s wrist, ripping his hand from the collar of her jacket before shoving him away from her. She made to close the gap between them on her own terms, but she stopped herself just as Chad came up behind Jay and grabbed hold of him, effectively stopping the situation from escalating any further than it already had.

 

**_(Evie)_ **

Returning from the restroom, Evie found the dance more hushed than it had been before she exited the main room, but before she could scan the room in search of what had occurred the conversation broke out as if it had never halted. When she did manage to survey the room she found nothing unusual; Jay was with Chad and Lonnie, Jane was still hiding in the corner, and Mal was standing alone by the drink station. _… alone?_ Last time she had checked, Mal had been with Ben, the person she had come with. Evie shook her head when she found herself thinking those words with a mind full of bitterness. Locating Carlos, she made her way back over to him quickly, making sure nothing happened to her dress as she weaved through the crowd.

            “What was that all about?”

            Carlos turned at the sound of her voice, his bright smile greeting her like usual. However, once he registered the look present on her face his smile fell as he glanced over at Jay. “Nothing, Jay just caused a bit of a scene.”

            Her stomach churned at that. “What did he do?”

            Carlos shook his head, but she caught his eyes flickering over the boy again in worry. “He’s just being his usual self, nothing too unusual.”

            Realizing the boy wasn’t about to tell her anything further, Evie sighed, letting the topic drop as she joined him in choosing snacks. After only about a minute, a magnetic force urged her gaze toward Mal again, and her heart sank when she found the girl still standing alone. It wasn’t the first time that night she had wanted to approach the girl – in fact, it wasn’t even the twentieth time – she just couldn’t keep herself from watching the purple-haired girl. But still, she remained by Carlos’ side, knowing that it would be incredibly disrespectful to leave him, even though they weren’t attending as a couple.

            She felt a nudge against her ribcage, and she looked over to find herself staring into brown, puppy-dog eyes.

            “Just go over to her,” Carlos spoke over the music, his gaze flickering in Mal’s direction.

            Evie glanced over her shoulder at the girl, then back at Carlos, deciding to act as though she had no idea who he was talking about. “I don’t…”

            “Don’t play dumb with me, Evie,” Carlos interrupted, a knowing smile quirking his mouth upward. “I know how you feel about her.”

            “I don’t feel anything for her,” Evie argued, well aware that her interest in the girl was merely physical. “I just find her beautiful.”

            “That’s feeling something, Evie,” Carlos stated as if she should already know that; and she did.

            She sighed. “Are you sure it’s okay?”

            “Are you kidding? This is the first time you’ve actually shown genuine interest in someone,” Carlos answered, appearing happier for her than even she was. “Go get her.”

            Evie didn’t know what to say, so she just smiled, reaching out to pull the small boy into her arms for a tight hug before ruffling his hair and heading toward the girl in question. Though she wondered where Ben had gone she didn’t linger on the thought for long, her heart racing with the idea that she’d soon be staring into those mesmerizing green eyes. She stopped her thoughts immediately after that, _maybe Carlos was right about me liking her more than I think._

            “Hey,” Evie greeted as she stopped behind the girl.

            Mal started and turned around quickly, her light-green eyes coming to rest on the red-brown of Evie’s. Evie’s smile widened at the eye-contact, but Mal’s face dropped, the sight causing Evie’s own smile to fall from her face. However, her attention was quickly stolen by the present look deeper in the green of the girl’s eyes, and she realized that the girl wasn’t necessarily upset because of her arrival; there was something more to her mood.

            “What happened?” Evie found herself questioning before Mal could even verbally acknowledge her appearance.

            Before she could tell herself it was a terrible idea, Evie reached up to gently caress Mal’s cheek, and she wasn’t the least bit surprised when the girl immediately pulled away from her touch. Evie wasn’t stupid, she knew the girl hated it when she touched her, but she couldn’t seem to stop herself most of the time.

            “The enforced distance rule, that’s what happened,” Mal deadpanned.

            It wasn’t the answer she wanted, though, she wanted something believable, something that did something other than confuse her further. “What ‘ _distance rule_ ’ are you talking about?”

            “Ask Jay,” Mal motioned her head in the boy’s direction.

            Evie parted her lips to ask her what Jay had to do with it, but she found her mouth falling closed again when her jaw clenched in frustration, the purple-haired girl having turned her back on her as if she had never been there. _Ask Jay._ She scanned the crowd and quickly located her friend, forcing herself to shrug off the way Mal had treated her as she pushed through several couples. When she reached him she gripped tightly onto his shoulder and spun him around forcibly, making him meet her narrowed gaze.

            “What did you say to Mal?” She knew she shouldn’t be this furious with him without hearing his side of the story, but everything he had ever said about Mal flowed through her mind and she knew that she was the victim of whatever had happened.

            “Why are you mad at _me?_ ” Jay questioned, gaze flickering over Evie’s shoulder to where she knew Mal stood nearby watching.

            “ _What_ did you say to Mal?” Evie repeated in a smaller voice, still leaving enough anger present that he’d know she wasn’t pleased with him.

            Jay stared deep into her eyes for a moment before he shifted to face her more fully, his face hardening. “I told her that she was on her last warning.”

            “Her last warning for what?” Evie pushed on, not standing down like most people would with the intense stare he was currently piercing her with.

            “Her last warning to stay away from you.”

            With the final answer, Evie snapped. A sharp pulsing that was impossible to ignore settled deep in her chest as her arm pulled back before bolting forward, her knuckles connecting with Jay’s jaw harshly. The force behind her punch sent the boy sprawling into the table behind him, splashing drinks everywhere as it snapped beneath his weight. She approached before he could regain his surroundings, closing her fingers around his shirt as she crouched down to where he lay disoriented and tugged him close to her, their noses brushing together with how close she got to him.

            “You _don’t_ get to make decisions like that for me.”

            She stated it with authority just before hands were gripping her shoulders and pulling her away from her friend, and to her feet. It wasn’t much longer before Ben was standing between her and Jay as they both made another move toward each other. She could feel the necklace pulsing against her chest as it always did when it amplified her anger, but there was something different about it this time; it wasn’t amplifying anything. The fury – every ounce of it – was solely hers, the necklace was instead letting her know just how close she was to losing herself in her own emotions.

            “Get as mad as you want, but you know you shouldn’t date someone your friends don’t trust,” Jay said, his hand reaching up to wipe the blood that threatened to drip from the corner of his mouth.

            “And what about Audrey, huh?” Evie shouted, disgusted that he would even say such a thing given everything that’s happened involving his current relationship. “Carlos doesn’t trust her. I certainly don’t trust her. What’s the rule on that?”

            “Evie, that’s enough,” Ben warned, glancing between the two of them. “Both of you need to leave this dance.”

            But Evie wasn’t hearing him, and she shook off the hand that comfortingly gripped her shoulder seconds afterward. She was still watching Jay, having not finished what she was saying.

            “Or does that little rule of yours not apply to you?” She continued despite the several attempts to tear her away. “Do _any_ of your rules for Carlos and I apply to you? Tell me. Because I can’t seem to figure out why you think you get to control our lives.”

            Jay’s features changed, and the moment Evie knew she had won she shoved Ben’s hand away from her and turned to leave, however, she found herself quickly pinned to the floor by glowing green eyes. Realizing that Mal had heard everything that had been exchanged, Evie pushed through the crowd, hurrying out of the building before her emotions overwhelmed her completely.


	22. Chapter 22

**_(Mal)_ **

It wasn’t long after Evie had punched her friend that Ben had ended the dance, obvious frustration and worry lingering in his eyes when escorting Mal back to the dorm building. Though Mal hated to admit it, she had actually enjoyed the dance; well, the end of it that is. She had always suspected that Evie wasn’t a girl to mess with, but she had never gone as far to wonder what kind of anger was trapped within the beauty. Turns out, the beauty was just the shell, and there was _a lot_ more hiding underneath than Mal would have ever expected.

            Blowing out a heavy breath, Mal dropped herself into one of the chairs accompanying the table in the middle of the room, eyes too often flickering toward the door, waiting for it to open and reveal a figure of blue. She tried to shove away the desire to see the girl, to question her about tonight’s events and the words spoken that she didn’t understand. One word in particular, she couldn’t even begin to understand. _You know you shouldn’t_ date _someone your friends don’t trust._ She may have snuck around in the shadows listening her entire life, but she had never once heard that word before Carlos had told her about the dance, and she found herself struggling to find even a possible explanation for the way Jay had used it; that’s why she needed Evie, to explain it to her. She recalled the sentences around that one, remembered how Evie had brought up the thought of Jay and the dirty-blonde girl Mal always saw him with, the one he had brought to the dance with him. All she could come up with was the way the two acted together, how they were always touching in some way and how they often kissed. _Could that be what ‘dating’ means?_ She had no idea, but she doubted it. There was no way Evie wanted that with her. _Amusing to think a Princess would ever want anything less than a pampered Prince._ Her heartbeat increased as she thought about Evie wanting that kind of relationship from her, the increase not enough to make her question what was happening, but just enough for it to not slip her notice.

            After an hour passed without anyone arriving she finally pushed herself from the chair and moved over to the window, arms crossing as she scanned the area of the field leading to the woods. When she realized she was scanning for any sign of trouble her heart abruptly halted. _What if Evie hasn’t returned because…?_ Mal chewed on the inside of her lip until she tasted blood, her ears seeming to pound as she thought about the possibility. _God, I’m a terrible fucking bodyguard._ Fighting the urge to put her hand through the glass she turned and quickly made her way to the door, closing her fingers around the handle and jerking it open, ready to ignite her magic in search of the girl. She stopped when the warmth registered through the frozen state of her veins.

            With a quick lift of her head she met red-brown eyes, hand still gripping the handle, heartbeat accelerating. She meant to move out of the way, meant to let the girl into the room, but she couldn’t seem to command her muscles as she found herself almost hopelessly locked into the girl’s stare. Her knuckles turned white against the handle as her grip tightened, and she finally managed to force herself to step aside, keeping her eyes on the blue-haired girl as she immediately took advantage of the newly opened space to enter the room; but she didn’t stop there. Mal watched as Evie moved quickly over to her dresser and pulled out a few items, completely ignoring her presence as she slipped into the bathroom and shut the door. _Okay,_ Mal thought, slowly and quietly shutting the main door to their room; _that was strange._

            “I thought you were leaving.”

            Having not known she was too caught up in her thoughts Mal whirled around at the sound of the girl’s voice, meaning to face her. However, Evie moved too quickly for her, not giving her time to face her as she moved around the room, cleaning a few things before lowering herself to sit on the edge of her bed as she opened her bedside drawer. _What’s wrong with her?_ She wanted to not care, she _really_ wished the question wasn’t burning her tongue, but it was as if something was possessing her.

            “Is something wrong?” The words burned through her tongue as they formed, and she hated herself for not having the strength to stop them.

            However, something sank in her stomach when she received no response. Is _there something wrong with her?_ Subconsciously, Mal took several small steps forward before she realized what she was doing and stopped herself from getting any closer. Indescribable feelings tugged on her stomach as she swirled her bottom lip between her teeth, studying the blue-haired girl’s profile in search of what could possibly be wrong. _I hate this connection,_ she thought as the feelings swirling around her stomach quickly became unpleasant, well aware that they were only present because of the emotions running thick through Evie.

            Telling herself that the night would be more pleasant if Evie wasn’t talking to her, Mal moved away from the door and over to her own bed, dropping onto the soft mattress. Despite that fact, her gaze lingered on the girl across the room, watching, waiting, for her features to give something away about what she was thinking. _God, look at you,_ Mal shook her head in disappointment at herself; _you’re worrying about a fashion-obsessed_ princess _._ She buried her teeth deep into her lip when she discovered the sharp tug inside her chest when she spoke the royal title with disgust, scolding herself for even thinking about believing it to be anything more than a ridiculous, demeaning to others, word, simply because it belonged to the girl sitting across from her.

            Wanting to distract herself, she forcibly tore her gaze away from her beautiful roommate and reached underneath her pillow to grab hold of her book, which she had quickly stashed there before the dance. Not exactly knowing what she was doing she flipped mindlessly through the pages, reading the names of each spell with uncharacteristic disinterest. Before she even knew what she was doing green eyes flickered upward, coming to rest on the room’s other occupant. A low growl traveled the length of her throat when she realized she was seemingly incapable of looking away from the girl for longer than five minutes.

            When Evie made a sudden move, Mal – in panic – dropped her gaze back to the page opened in front of her, praying that she hadn’t been caught staring; something told her the girl had seen her. However, she second-guessed herself when the silence between them only spread. _If she had caught me staring she would have said something, she always does._ Chancing another glance at the girl she followed her movements as she made her way over to the overly-large window, watching curiously as she gracefully sat on the large, cushioned windowsill, pulling her knees up to her chest and hugging them loosely.

            After a while, she couldn’t help it. “Something interesting out there?”

            Silence.

            A heavy breath broke passed her lips when she threw herself back into her pillows. _Why isn’t she talking to me? She’s always way too excited to talk to me, so what’s different about tonight?_ Angrily, she tossed her spell-book to the end of her bed, not caring about the sound of ripping pages. _Why do I care?_ She shook her head and blew out another breath, _I don’t. I don’t care whether she talks to me, or not. I don’t care about her._

            But still. “Did I _do_ something to you?”

            Evie shifted, but said nothing.

            _I should have known._ A quiet whisper caught her attention the very second it revealed itself, the voice unrecognizable, the words indecipherable, and figuring it was only another affect from the connection between them she shoved the faint whisper from her mind, shutting it out with her own invisible words as she thought about the scene that had unfold before the dance. _She’s probably mad about the way I treated her. The way I insulted her little prince._

            “Do you want me to apologize for making fun of your little prince?” Mal questioned, scrunching her nose in disgust at both how desperate she seemed for Evie’s attention and the title. “Is that what you’re on about?”

            More silence.

            The quiet whisper grew in volume, quickly becoming a continuous pestering, and though it remained impossible to decode, Mal felt a strange familiarity from it. Shaking her head, she rolled onto her side, tucking her arm under her pillow and allowing her head to sink into the soft material. However, after what felt like hours to Mal – though it was only a few minutes in actuality – the irking voice failed to fade, even though the majority of her mind was focused on her swirling thoughts of Evie.

            As if someone else entirely was controlling her she pushed into a sitting position and slid her feet to the floor to stand, her legs carrying her over to the window Evie sat quietly in front of. _What am I even doing?_ Somehow, she knew her mind wouldn’t be convinced into doing something else, and so she lowered herself onto the cushioned windowsill in front of the other girl, crossing her legs underneath her and guiding her gaze out the window. _You need to just go to sleep, she doesn’t want to talk to you. She doesn’t want your company._ With a heavy sigh, she leaned the side of her head against the window and closed her eyes, not understanding why she was sitting with the girl. However, despite knowing she should just leave the room entirely, she couldn’t bring herself to move away from Evie, her legs seemingly made of concrete and impossible to lift.

            The fact that the voice still whispered somewhere near her ear pushed her to let words roll off her tongue again, despite everything inside her warning her not to say another word. “Who’s Audrey?”

            She wasn’t an idiot, she had pieced together that the small dirty-blonde often on Jay’s arm was Audrey, but she was desperate to get Evie to talk to her; it sickened her just how desperate she seemed, especially considering it was always the opposite.

            “Someone you don’t want to meet,” Evie finally spoke, though her voice held little emotion.

            “I thought _I_ was the one people didn’t want to meet?” Mal knew she was trying too hard to get the girl to laugh, but she couldn’t seem to stop herself. She kept her eyes shut tightly, praying that things would abruptly change.

            “Well,” Evie breathed the word as a light laugh.

            Mal tried to ignore the painful way her heart tugged at the girl’s words. _Does she mean…?_ Again, she told herself, _oh well, it’s not like I care about what she thinks of me._ She added; _Why should I care if she wishes she hadn’t met me?_ However, the pain didn’t ease, instead settling to a dull ache.

            The heated feeling of the girl’s stare burned her face, and instead of listening to herself and keeping her eyes closed she lifted her eyelids to find red-brown eyes studying her intently, the look present in the unique color giving her the feeling that Evie didn’t understand her. _Stop trying, Princess,_ Mal thought, the corners of her mouth quirking into a small smile; _you’ll never understand me._ There was a question forming in her mind, a question she would never dare let slip passed her lips, a question she shouldn’t even want to know the answer to, one she shouldn’t _care_ about the answer to. _Do_ you _wish you never met me?_ Though she told herself she couldn’t care less about the answer to that question she couldn’t banish it from her head.

            She felt she got the answer to her question when their eye-contact was severed, Evie tearing her gaze away to bring it back to the outside world. Her chest squeezed, and she finally lost the strength to keep trying as her body burned. Pulling her legs from underneath her body she pushed herself to her feet, glancing at the blue-haired girl once more before a sigh escaped her lips.

            “Got it,” Mal whispered, forcing her legs to carry her back over to her bed.

            Crawling back onto her bed she let her body fall into the mattress, her mind holding so many thoughts that her head began pounding relentlessly. That was when the quiet whisper that had been plaguing her since Evie had made an appearance grew too loud for her to ignore, and she dreadfully realized why it had seemed so familiar minutes ago.

            _Weak. Useless. Hopeless. Forgotten. Unloved._

            She shook her head, doing as she always did and shoving the words from her mind. However, her usual salvation didn’t work this time, and she only found the words continuing to echo in the front of her mind, too close for her to ignore, too far for her hands which reached to shove them away.

            _Weak. Useless. Hopeless. Forgotten. Unloved._

            When her own words failed to end the reign of the pestering voice a second time, she closed her fingers around the pillow above her and curled the material around her head, pressing into her ears as if that would silence the words. _Shut up! Shut up! I am not weak, or useless, or hopeless, or… or forgot…_ but she couldn’t finish. All she could do was think of her mother, of how she had left her so easily; did she think of her? She could think only of Evie, of how she sat over in the windowsill, ignoring her; did she feel for her pain?

            And it was then that she realized the words weren’t going away this time.

            _Weak. Useless. Hopeless. Forgotten. Unloved._

            The voice was there to stay.


	23. Chapter 23

**_(Mal)_ **

Each day stole more of her strength away, the minutes and hours stripping away her armor and baring her to the entire universe, something she hadn’t let happen for ten years, not even when she had been a breath’s length from death. She tried repeatedly to keep herself together, fighting against any outside force that sank its claws into her skin, but nothing seemed to work. Every technique that had kept her unbreakable to this day gave with little resistance to the force slamming into it, and every break in her armor led back to one sole causation.

            Green eyes held firmly to a blur of blue, her vision seemingly giving out on her the longer she remained staring at the girl sitting directly in front of her. She had lost track of the words spilling from the teacher’s mouth even before the class had begun, she didn’t care about education, that hadn’t changed.

            Four days. It had been four incredibly lengthy days since Evie had spoken to her. The girl’s disinterest shouldn’t affect her as much as it did, but there seemed to be no changing the path she was headed down. She had lost control of her mind, of her emotions, of herself, and the worst part of it all was that she didn’t even care anymore. Wednesday had ended her flailing attempts to end this abrupt change of feelings, Evie having crushed any strength she had left within her that night.

            She still remembered the look she had seen in the girl’s eyes not even ten hours ago. She still remembered the clawing way red-brown eyes had searched dying green in that moment, and she would never forget the fatigue she had seen in her new favorite color, fatigue that expressed how tired Evie grew of her. It had been the look that spoke in finality as its force pinned her helplessly to the ground, siphoning any remaining fight from her body and leaving her to lay there with no hope that she’d ever get back to her feet.

            Nothing registered to her as her arms began shaking under the weight they held keeping her upright on the table. Typically, Evie would glance in her direction as she entered, however, this morning had been different, the blue-haired girl not even showing the slightest sign that she was aware of her existence. _What happened, huh?_ Mal thought, not even trying to steady her shaking; _did you finally realize how much of a lost cause I am? Can you finally see the truth about me? Did you warn everyone else?_ She figured Evie must have said something considering she hadn’t seen Carlos much this week, and it hadn’t taken her long to realize it was because the boy was avoiding her.

            The first words she heard that morning took a minute to sink in, and when she discovered the teacher was asking Evie if she wanted to help her in lab another time she returned from the depths of her mind, the girl in front of her finally coming into focus again. When Evie lifted her head to meet the teacher’s gaze Mal closed her teeth painfully around her bottom lip, waiting anxiously for the girl to rise from her seat; but that didn’t happen. Evie didn’t do anything. After a moment, the blonde boy sitting next to Evie stood instead, gathering his things and heading over to Mal.

            Mal’s fingers curled and her fingernails dug into the skin of her palms. “What’s the matter? Too much work for someone like you?”

            “You need to leave her alone,” Doug’s voice filled her ears instead – though she hadn’t been expecting to hear Evie’s.

            “And you need to stop stalking her,” Mal shot back, finally tearing her gaze from the blue-haired girl to swing it around to meet Doug’s. “She doesn’t want to _‘date’_ you, so maybe you should take a hint and pull your head out of your scrawny little ass. You’re not her hero, and you never will be, so stop pretending.”

            “Alright, that’s enough!” The teacher shouted over them, stopping Doug from saying whatever it was he had been about to let out.

            The boy’s glare was meant to intimidate her, but it only succeeded in making her laugh dryly. “And stop pretending anyone could ever be intimidated by you.”

            “Why do you think she’s not helping you?” Doug began with a whisper, making sure he couldn’t be heard over the others chatting happily in the room. “I think she’s made it pretty clear that she wants nothing to do with you.”

            Normally, Mal would strike back, however, the words came in the form of a jagged sword, piercing through her chest and radiating unbearable pain to every crevice of her body. _She wants nothing to do with you. No one does._

            Magic swirled around her as she pushed to her feet, the green smoke slamming into the table and sending it onto its side to connect with the bottom of Evie’s chair, startling the girl. That’s when red-brown finally met piercing green, and Mal swore she could see worry in the girl’s eyes. She couldn’t take it anymore, any of it. Without a second’s hesitation, Mal was in the hallway, the furious shouts of the teacher following her down the echoing walls as she hurried into the fresh air that was beckoning her.

            She recognized this feeling, remembered its pain coursing through her every time she had been with her mother, piercing and striking until she was completely numb. It was the feeling that came with being undeniably unwanted, the feeling that accompanied the knowledge that not a single living being would so much as falter in step if she were to disappear forever.

            The second she reached the light breeze she found her feet dragging against the ground, sending her stumbling forward into the blue railing. The fingers of her left hand gripped relentlessly while her right arm slung around the railing to hook the cool metal underneath her arm, her knees buckling as something crashed into her.

********

_She was lost. She knew she had taken the wrong turn somewhere, but she didn’t know where. She moved quickly through the broken-down streets in search of one person, the only person that could ever give her a sense of security._

_“Mother?”_

_Her heart leapt in her chest when she spotted her mother amongst the crowd, the woman’s horns unmistakable._

_“Mother?”_

_Maleficent turned at the sound of her voice, and she knew she was safe. She allowed a smile to stretch across her face as she moved toward her mother as fast as her short legs would carry her. However, it didn’t matter how fast she could move, her mother would always be faster, and she proved that by beginning to move herself. Only it was away from her. Away from her only daughter._

_“Mother!” She called out more desperately now, confused as to why her mother would be leaving her._

She must not have heard me. _That had to be the answer. And so she sped up, still not feeling as though it were fast enough. Her mother was always ten steps ahead of her. A freshly sharpened blade dug into her stomach, slicing through everything, making it more difficult for her to catch up with her mother. The blade belonged to the unbearable thought of her mother knowing she was only feet away from her, from the idea that her mother wanted to increase that distance between them._ Why can’t she hear me? Why won’t she turn around and notice me? Why isn’t she trying to get to me?

********

Pain jolted up Mal’s body when she collided with the hard ground, the railing that had been keeping her up slipping from her grasp as if it had moved away from her, teasing her by standing just out of her desperate reach. She laid there, attempting to catch her breath, her mind moving far too quickly for her to retain any of the thoughts. Her head began pounding. _Why can’t she hear me? Why won’t she turn around and notice me? Why isn’t she trying to get to me?_ Flames scorched everything inside her chest, heating her blood until it bubbled into her throat to restrict her breathing. _Because she doesn’t care about you. She_ despises _you._ Tears burned her eyes and she shut them quickly in attempt to keep them from spilling, but the pain settling inside her stomach in its strongest form tore at every part of her. It was laughing at her, mocking her, and there was nothing she could do other than give in, nothing she could do because she agreed with it.

            _Weak. Useless. Hopeless. Forgotten. Unloved._

            She finally realized why she could no longer fight the haunting words that loomed intimidatingly over her, watching her every move. They were _her_ words. They were _her_ thoughts. They were _her_ beliefs. They were _her own._ They may have originated from those inside the agency, they may be continuously spat at her by everyone, but they belonged to no one more than they belonged to her.

            _I’m weak. I’m useless. I’m hopeless. I’m forgotten. I’m unloved. I’m unwanted._

            Rolling onto her stomach Mal curled into herself, pressing her forehead to the cool ground as she finally allowed the tears to escape. She wanted someone. No, she wanted _Carlos_. She wanted to find the younger boy and hold onto him for as long as she could, but she knew it was a terrible idea, her own mind assaulting her, reminding her that he didn’t care about her.

            _You may have been able to fool yourself for years, but the truth will always reveal itself, it never fails to take people hostage. You are weak_. _Your existence has little reason. Your own mother hasn’t spared you a single thought since she left you to die alone. It was stupid of you to believe Carlos was a friend to you. It was foolish to believe Evie could ever care about you._

            Flattening her palms against the ground she began hitting her forehead into the hard surface again and again, tears breaking open to stain the area beneath her. _No. No. No. No. Don’t do this to yourself._ But she couldn’t stop her mind from attacking her, couldn’t convince herself that she wasn’t a waste of oxygen.

            “No!” She screamed at herself, the word tearing through her throat and seemingly echoing around the school.

            Her mind had beaten her until she was numb to everything but the pain, destroying everything that might possibly create any shred of hope within her. Slamming her knuckles into the ground she pushed herself to unstable legs, her human form disappearing to leave a black and purple dragon looming over the school. Turning away from the place that had sucked her in only to tear her apart and spit her back out, she mustered the little strength that remained in her body to leave it behind.

 

**_(Evie)_ **

As soon as the bell sounded through the room Evie shoved her supplies into her bag and slung it over her shoulder as she rose to her feet, her gaze narrowing at the blonde boy the second he came into her view. She didn’t hesitate to close the remaining distance between them, her arm shooting forward for her fingers to dig into his shoulder painfully in order to turn him around to face her.

            “The next time you make a decision like that for me, I promise you’ll regret it,” Evie hissed her warning in a low voice, the fury bubbling inside of her scorching everything in its path.

            “I just thought…”

            “I know what you thought, I know what _all_ of you think,” Evie interrupted him, keeping her hold on the boy’s shoulder. “Stay out of my business unless you’re asked to be involved.”

            Without waiting for the boy’s response she released him and swiftly exited the classroom, her necklace pulsing to the beat of her heart, perfectly mirroring the heat of her anger. Saying she was furious was an understatement. She had had enough of the boys she holds closest to her believing they could control every aspect of her life, she was tired of them trying to make decisions for her regarding Mal. If she had wanted to cut the girl from her life she would have done so on her own, however, that happened to be the last thing she wished to do – as it always had been.

            She could understand how they could easily mistake her ignoring the girl to mean she no longer wanted anything to do with her, however, she had been treating everyone the same as she treated Mal during the week. She hadn’t spoken freely to anyone that week, her mind spinning too fast with her own internal debates for her to even keep up with a simple conversation.

            It was true that she had kept her mouth shut that night after the dance because of her own fear that she would only embarrass herself further in front of the girl, but that wasn’t why she continued her growing silence. Her mind struggled to work out a way for her and Jay to reach an understanding, a way to explain to her best friend that there was nothing he could do to stop her from wanting to befriend Mal without angering him even more than she already had. She struggled with what to do about the purple-haired girl now knowing about her attraction to her. She struggled with finding a way to convince the girl she didn’t want to be with her romantically, struggled with finding a way to convince _herself_ she didn’t want that.

            As she made her way toward the outdoor hallways she sighed, wishing her mind would slow down for a moment, at least long enough for her to somehow organize every thought. As if a higher power wished to answer her prayer, something she had never felt before overtook her body, effectively silencing every issue she currently battled through. She stopped abruptly, breathing in the feeling of the power entering her body.

            Glancing around, she took in her surroundings, finding that her gaze was drawn specifically to a small portion of the blue railing lining the edge of the raised hallway. She reached out to carefully wrap her fingers around the cool railing, pulling her hand away immediately after a shock traveled up the length of her arm, turning her blood to ice. _Something happened here._ She didn’t know what gave her the idea, but the surety she felt about it made it impossible for her to believe she was finally going insane. _No, something really did happen here. But what? And why can I feel it?_ She wasn’t surprised when the girl who often invaded her thoughts found her way to the front of her mind, but her stomach sank with dread when she remembered what had happened the last time Mal had left class early. _Where are you? Please tell me you’re okay._ Her fingers clasped tightly around the railing again as she shut her eyes, her breathing deep as she prayed the odd power would give her any sign that would lead her to the answer she sought. _Come on, Mal. Let me know you’re okay._

            When an extremely vivid picture of the sky appeared behind her eyelids she nearly screamed out as she took a step back from the railing, eyes shooting open as her hand fell to her side. As if that hadn’t been enough to frighten her, a sickening feeling of anguish settled inside of her, creating a painfully hard knot in both her chest and her stomach. _What is happening?_ She thought, looking around to make sure no one was watching her. _What does any of this mean?_ She had no clue as to how being among the clouds in the sky related to an overpowering presence of anguish, and she definitely had no idea how she could see and feel these things.

            She shook her head, _If I ever had any doubt about whether or not I was going insane, it’s gone now._ Not knowing what to make of the things she had just experienced she pushed it all from her mind, moving quickly away from the railing and toward her second period classroom. But something still tugged sharply at her chest, scratching at the back of her head, telling her that someone needed her, that someone was calling for her.


	24. Chapter 24

**_(Evie)_ **

Frantic was the only word that even came close to describing the way Evie currently felt as she paced around her room, the knot in her chest never relenting. Frantic with worry, with fear; she was distraught. She wanted the answers to literally everything; why people tried to make decisions for her, why she couldn’t control her own emotions, why nothing ever seemed to go well. But most of all, she wanted to know where Mal was.

            It was now Friday night and she hadn’t seen the girl since she had flipped the chemistry table and stormed from the classroom. She hadn’t shown up to any of their other classes, she hadn’t shown up in their shared room for the night, and she had skipped the entire new school day. _She could have left Auradon;_ but something inside her told her that the girl was still here. _She could have fallen ill;_ but she had already checked the infirmary. _She could be dead;_ but she knew she wasn’t. Just as it seemed to be with every other situation in her life, she had no answers, and no clues that could lead her to them.

            Though she had no reason to be, she felt guilty. She felt horrible for ignoring the girl for several days, well aware that no matter what she was going through in her own mind she should never ignore anyone, especially friends; and in her desperate mind, Mal was her friend. _I can’t believe I was so selfish._ Shaking her head, she scolded herself for always thinking Mal’s actions were based on something she did, or said, reminding herself that the only constant reaction she could seem to coax from the girl was anger. _She barely even likes me; she wouldn’t disappear like this because of something_ I _did. I really need to stop thinking about myself._ But she didn’t think that was fair to say considering she often thought more of others than of herself. She no longer knew what to think.

            Her heart stopped beating when the door handle turned, and her feet cemented to the floor as she held her breath, waiting to see who was entering. As soon as she saw purple she found her legs carrying her forward, and she just barely managed to stop herself from lunging into the girl’s arms as she appeared entirely, carelessly letting the door shut behind her. Green eyes lifted to meet the red-brown of Evie’s, and the older girl immediately knew there was something wrong.

            Purple hair was a tangled disaster, a leather jacket twisted to the side with one corner hanging off a shoulder, and dark streaks littered the skin available for viewing. Mal looked a mess, and it didn’t take any longer than a second for Evie’s heart to break at the sight of how distressed the girl appeared.

            The questions were out of her mouth before either of them could even blink.

            “What happened? Where have you been? Are you hurt?”

            After the last question, Evie finally took a needed breath, eyes searching the girl frantically for any signs of injury. Mal didn’t move for a moment, seeming frozen under Evie’s stare, however, by the time their eyes met again Evie was staring into narrowed green orbs.

            “Do us both a favor,” Mal started, voice shaking, eyes burning with fury. “And stop pretending like you care.”

            Evie was baffled. “What do you mean? I _do_ care about you.”

            “Yeah,” Mal scoffed, finally moving from the door and toward her bed, beginning to toss her sheets around in search of something.

            “I really wish people would _stop_ doing that!” Evie exclaimed in frustration despite her best attempts to remain calm.

            “Doing what?” Mal questioned without looking at her.

            “Telling me how _I_ feel,” Evie clarified, watching the girl closely, waiting for her to turn around and properly acknowledge her. “You are _not_ in my mind; you don’t know how I feel.”

            “I think you’d be surprised,” Mal muttered under her breath, and Evie could tell she hadn’t meant for her to actually hear it.

            “Then tell me what I’m thinking right now,” Evie challenged, placing her hands on her hips, the look present in her eyes _daring_ her to try.

            Sometimes Evie didn’t even know what she was thinking, but there was only one thing on her mind right now, and that was the girl in front of her. Mal was somehow always on her mind. _You’re a stubborn girl. You’re caught up in a world that revolves around yourself. But despite all that, I still want to try to get through to you. I still want to get back to the girl I know you truly are, the girl I’ve gotten several glimpses of._

            “Something I don’t understand,” Mal answered, voice void of any emotion.

            “That’s not an answer,” Evie argued, growing more frustrated with the girl with each second that passed by them. “There’s _a lot_ of things you don’t understand.”

            “Then it’s the correct answer, isn’t it?”

            Evie couldn’t take it anymore, and before she even knew what she was doing she had closed the distance between them and pulled the girl away from her bed. Mal took several steps away from her, but she only continued to advance, grabbing the collar of the jacket she had made for the younger girl. Her necklace was pulsing rapidly against her chest, eliciting sparks with each beat of her heart, helping fuel her anger.

            “What’s wrong with you, huh?” Evie questioned furiously, pulling the girl closer to her until she knew she was uncomfortable.

            “A fair number of things,” Mal replied, her voice quieter than before.

            That’s when Evie found it, the limited space between them allowing her to see it with perfect clarity. Her heart felt as though a blade had just severed it into several uneven pieces, and she nearly found herself choking with the inability to breathe when the realization crashed into her with an unforgiving force.

            Her grip on the girl’s collar loosened as she took a step back. But the realization had come too late for things to be simple. The door had been thrown open before she could release the girl, and everything turned into a blur as Jay slammed into Mal’s side, taking both of them to the ground. She thought she cried out, but she wouldn’t have been able to swear on it as her head slowed to a nauseatingly lagged pace, her mind attempting to put everything together into something that made sense. By the time her mind returned to her the damage had been done.

            “Jay, stop!” Evie cried out in desperation.

            It was obvious to her that the fight was completely different for both participators, and though Jay was actively hurting Mal, the small girl was struggling against something entirely different, _someone_ entirely different. Her legs felt completely detached from her body as she shot toward the two bodies wrestling on the ground, the room spinning around the edges of her vision as panic washed over her.

            “ _Get off of her!_ ”

            With a strength she didn’t know she possessed she circled her arms around Jay’s shoulders, yanking the boy off Mal and shoving him across the room. Completely ignoring her friend’s shouts of protest, Evie dropped to her knees beside Mal as she continued writhing on the ground despite the fact that no one was attacking her.

            “I’ll go get Ben,” Carlos said before running out of the room, Dude on his heels.

            Evie hadn’t known the boy had been present until he spoke, her entire mind occupied by the other two, and now only Mal. Jay made no attempt to dive back at Mal, instead he didn’t move an inch from where he had landed, seemingly registering what was going on.

            “Mal,” Evie whispered brokenly, reaching for the girl cautiously. “Mal, please come back to me. Tell me you hear me.”

            This was all familiar to her from the time Mal had fainted in front of her, but it was also utterly new, and she had no idea what to do. So she continued calling out to the girl, carefully bringing her hands to her face as the seriousness of the situation finally sank completely in.

 

**_(Mal)_ **

Her contact with reality had been ripped away the second someone collided harshly with her body, sending her spiraling to the ground, Evie’s red-brown eyes being the last thing she saw before everything morphed into the haunting streets of her childhood. The first thing she saw was her mother, eyes glowing fiercely with an unusual green as her scepter came into contact with her head.

            “You _useless_ child!” Maleficent spat at her, anger shining bright in her eyes. “What good are you to me like _this!_ ”

            She heard her own voice, weak from the state of her. “I’m sorry, mother. I just…”

            “You’re _weak!_ ” Maleficent interrupted, green smoke now swirling around her as her eyes filled with complete disgust and hatred. Hatred for her. “You’re an embarrassment to my name!”

            There was nothing she could say to stop the magic from encasing her body, and the next time she opened her mouth a scream followed as her mother used her powers to strip her of her magic, the worst punishment her mother ever gave. Mal didn’t remember what she had done this time, she nearly never understood why her mother was punishing her, but she never fought against it, knowing it would be no use. Her magic would return after a while, it always did, only for her mother to steal every ounce away from her, again and again.

            Once there was nothing more for Maleficent to steal from her tiny body the smoke vanished, leaving her lying helplessly on the ground. When she finally opened her eyes to meet her mother’s gaze it was because her laugh echoed through the streets.

            “Get out of my sight, _child_ ,” Maleficent snarled, swiping her hand through the air to shove her body off the street and into the alley.

            Before she knew it hands were grabbing her, pulling her from the alley, and she was struggling against them, her strength having grown with her body and the lack of presence from her mother. She was furious, the fight inside her never lessening, even after the searing metal was fastened around her wrists, charring her pale skin until it was blackened. The same metal closed around her legs and she was forced to give in as her knees buckled from the pain coursing through her body.

            Several pairs of hands drug her to the middle of the room, nearly yanking her shoulders from their sockets as they locked the ends of the chains holding her wrists to the bar that connected two parallel walls. With one person holding her still a blade sliced from the sleeve of her shirt to the collar on both arms, the front of it falling victim shortly after until the thin material had no choice but to fall from her body, leaving her upper-body covered only by her bra.

            Somehow, she knew what came next.

            Arms reached around her from behind and her skin ignited with pain as a large scrap of familiar metal wrapped around her, encasing her ribcage. She clenched her jaw in pain as more of her skin charred, the hand gripping her hair keeping her entire spine perfectly aligned, giving her no choice but to watch as the man who ordered this slowly approached.

            “Don’t think doing this gives me any pleasure, Mal,” Head spoke softly, as if he hadn’t just brutally strung her up using the only metal that could do any real damage to her.

            Iron. It could destroy people like her, including her mother. It was the only thing they couldn’t heal themselves from, it was the only thing that could leave them completely defenseless due to the way it temporarily severed their connection with their powers.

            “Why would I think that?” Mal asked sarcastically, hissing in pain when the guy who remained by her side tugged on a chain attached to her ribcage accessory, allowing the iron to dig further into her skin.

            She wouldn’t show any weakness. She wouldn’t cry. She wouldn’t scream. She would only stare directly into Head’s soulless blue eyes, her own piercing green orbs narrowed with her anger. If he thought this would stop her from doing what she had done before he was mistaken.

            “Do you know why you’re here?” Head asked in his irking fatherly tone.

            “Because you _put_ me here,” Mal answered, arms pulling on their restraints when the metal around her middle dug deeper into her skin again.

            “You are here because you have failed to obey me,” Head explained, reaching behind him to pull gloves from his back pocket. “But by the time you leave here today you’ll know to never disobey my ruling again.”

            “Will I?” Mal’s eyes flashed dangerously, but with the lack of her magic it seemed only amusing to Head.

            He chuckled lightly. “I’m sure of it.”

            Mal watched as he pulled the gloves onto his hands carefully, smoothing out any wrinkle in the leather. “What’s with the gloves?”

            “I don’t wish to get any blood on my hands,” Head answered casually, as if this were a completely normal situation to him; she guessed it was.

            She waited, watching as one of the burly men handed a whip to Head, watching as he unwound it and stepped closer to her. She wasn’t afraid of what came next, even as the smooth material cracked into her skin, traveling from her collarbone to the top of the belt fastened around her ribcage, even as the burn told her the whip was lined with iron. She showed no sign of pain even as her own blood slid thickly down her body; from her wrists, from her legs, from her ribcage, from the slash in her chest.

            Everything morphed back into the streets she had fought for her survival in after the second lash, but this time she was fully grown, seventeen-years old and facing her mother again. She lifted her hand, quickly attempting to ignite her magic in order to protect herself from her mother, but she couldn’t manage it; she was without magic once more.

            “Look at you,” Maleficent cackled, an uncharacteristic snort escaping her as she doubled over in laughter. “How did you ever manage to live this long? You’re so _weak_ , you’re so _useless_. You’re not good for anything. You’re nothing but a magnet for everyone’s hatred.”

            “Shut up!” Mal shouted, clamping her hands over her ears as her mother failed to hear her.

            Nothing had broken her before, not even getting a glimpse of what death might possibly feel like, yet here she was, tears burning her eyes as her hands pressed desperately into her ears, as if she could shut out her mother’s taunting words, _her own_ taunting words.

            She screamed.

            And it turned into her desperate plea for the blue-haired girl to stay with her, to not leave her.

            “Wait, E, please don’t leave me like this,” Mal begged, wincing at how unlike herself she sounded.

            With only fear of the girl leaving her clouding her mind, Mal pushed herself up from the uncomfortable mattress, meaning to follow the girl wherever she went, however, a nearly unbearable pain shot through her side the second she moved too quickly, tearing a cry from her lips as she crashed to the cold ground. She tried to lift herself back to her feet, but the wound in her side prevented her from being able to move on her own.

            Evie’s steps faltered, and she glanced almost robotically over her shoulder to meet Mal’s stare. Bringing her hand up to press into her side she let every emotion she was feeling shine in her eyes, silently pleading with the girl to stay, to help her.

            “P-please, stay… with me,” Mal pleaded, out of breath and feeling as though everything she had ever known was being torn apart right before her eyes.

            She watched as an emotionless gaze flickered to her side where she knew her blood was traveling the thin material of her infirmary gown, seeping through her fingers as she pressed harder into her side in attempt to keep the girl from seeing her growing weakness. When Evie’s gaze met hers again she could tell there was something different, the color of her eyes having changed, and the complete lack of emotion and sympathy broke her down more than this moment already had.

            “I’ll tell Belle you need her.”

            “Evie, please…”

            But she couldn’t get out another word, her own heavy breathing cutting her off as Evie turned away from her again, walking through the doorway and leaving her behind, completely shattering the world around her.

********

Her entire body gave out, every ounce of strength and warmth leaving her body as she fell still on the ground she laid on. She didn’t know where she was at first, the feeling of something soft beneath her head contrasting with the hardened surface the rest of her body rested against. But there was something, one particular thing that helped her find reality again.

            A voice. Her voice, as it always was, luring her, leading her back to where she needed to be, back to another world that had been shattered beneath her feet, another world that had left her behind as it moved forward to better places.

            Something soft stroked her face from her temple to her cheek, the delicate touch urging her to open her eyes to a blurry world. She blinked continuously, trying to clear her vision from her tears, from her past. When she finally managed to break through she saw Ben first, then Carlos, then Jay, all of them appearing worried about something, their eyes trained on her. She had just enough time to shift her gaze upward to find Evie, her red-brown eyes filled with tears as she cradled her head in her lap, and barely enough time to open her mouth in attempt to speak before everything faded again, throwing her into complete darkness.


	25. Chapter 25

**_(Mal)_ **

When she finally woke every inch of her felt overwhelmingly heavy; her eyelids as they lifted from her burning eyes, her head as she rolled it to the left, her body as she shifted the slightest bit, and her chest as she inhaled deeply. She didn’t want to be awake, in fact, she wished she could just close her eyes and never have to be conscious again, the pain of everything weighing down on her and suffocating her. Still, she focused on erasing the blur from her vision, suddenly wondering why her body molded into something soft, the cold discomfort of the ground now completely gone.

            Her mind screamed at her that she didn’t deserve to be using the oxygen she now breathed in, but she didn’t know how not to, her lungs working against her wishes as they forced her to continue breathing. She saw frosted, curly hair first, and her heart froze for the slightest moment when she recognized Carlos’ face, then her gaze flickered to the girl pacing by the middle table, confusion settling inside her when she realized the bobbed hair belonged to Lonnie.

            “Oh my goodness, she’s awake!”

            Everything froze inside her instantly when someone to her right spoke, her ears prickling with recognition, there being no way she could ever mistake who that rich voice belonged to.

            “How are you feeling, Mal?” Evie asked delicately, concern tied tightly around her voice.

            Mal didn’t turn to face the girl until the bed beside her dipped with added weight, her heart hammering harshly against her ribcage as she brought her gaze to the beautiful girl who had crushed her. She was mad at the girl, completely and undeniably furious with her, but she had no idea why, and she couldn’t get passed the fact that nothing made any sense outside of the taunting of her mind.

            A soft hand slipped underneath her shaky one, squeezing her fingers gently as another came to rest on top. She couldn’t bring herself to meet red-brown eyes, she didn’t want to look into them, and she didn’t want to enjoy the feeling of the girl’s thumb brushing over her knuckles, so she pulled her hand from between Evie’s, instead using her other to reach out to the boy sitting at the end of her bed. And when Carlos glanced unsurely at Evie she finally remembered something that had the weight on her chest pinning her down even more. _He doesn’t care about me. None of them do. Why should they?_ Her hand dropped back to the mattress helplessly, and she shut her eyes as tears threatened to escape once again, trying her best to force them away. _So weak. I’m so fucking weak._

            She opened her eyes again in surprise when a different hand slipped into hers, the weight on the left side of her shifting closer. Carlos gripped her hand gently but securely, bringing their joined hands into his lap as he moved close enough for his body heat to slide over Mal’s body. She enjoyed his close proximity, something about him being there comfortably familiar to her.

            “You’ve had a bit of a rough time lately, haven’t you?” Carlos questioned lightly, the soft smile on his face as he spoke seeming forced.

            Mal couldn’t help it, she let herself hope that some part of the boy truly _did_ care for her, no matter how small of a portion. Allowing herself that moment of hope she squeezed the boy’s fingers tightly, wanting desperately to feel something, _anything_ , other than pain. She hadn’t realized that Lonnie had moved at all, let alone moved to the foot of her bed where she wrapped her arms around the bed post.

            “Do you remember anything?” Lonnie asked sadly, the look present in her eyes confusing Mal.

            She didn’t want to speak, knowing that no one really cared about the things she had to say, but as memories flashed quickly through her mind she couldn’t help but open her mouth as she turned to her right, her hand tightening even more around Carlos’ as she finally gave in, looking directly into the unique red-brown eyes that coaxed feelings from her she didn’t understand, or want.

            “You left me.” It would have been accusatory, but the crack in her voice gave everything away as saying those words out loud shattered everything inside of her. “You left me behind just like my mother did.”

            In that moment, she barely felt Carlos squeezing her hand in reassurance. Everything went numb as she stared into the eyes of the girl she had once believed wanted her around, the girl she had allowed to consume her thoughts and make her question her beliefs only to shatter her entire world around her. The girl that – despite everything – she knew she _needed._ The girl that had shown her just how weak she is by becoming the toxicity she couldn’t resist, the drug she needed in order to continue on.

            “No,” Evie breathed out, her voice shaking as her already swollen eyes glossed over with tears. “I never meant to…”

            “You both had good reason to,” Mal interrupted, not knowing what she was going to say as words flowed from her mouth. “I’m nothing. You’re both better off without me. You all are. I’m nothing more than a disappointment, a disgrace.”

            Tears were sliding down her cheeks before she even knew they were forming, and instead of pretending she was something she wasn’t she allowed them to fall, letting the three people with her see the truth about her; she was weak, she was helpless, she was an anchor on the ankle of everyone who dared step into her space, weighing them down until they could no longer live out their best lives.

            “Listen to me, Mal,” Carlos spoke with a steadier voice than either of the girls, though his own puppy-dog eyes glistened more than usual. “You are _not_ a disgrace. You are _none_ of those things.”

            Evie continued on for him. “You are so much more than that. You are stronger than anyone I’ve ever met; you just need help seeing that. We want you in our lives, Mal. And nothing you can say will scare us away.”

            Their words sank into her chest and wrapped around her heart, but their grip only slipped right off as Mal failed to hear what they were saying. She couldn’t hear them because she couldn’t believe them. Every word they said skipped right passed her as she attempted to reach for them, remaining far from her fingertips as she craved to understand them, craved to _believe_ them. She just couldn’t get to them, and she knew she never would.

 

**_(Evie)_ **

“We’re right here, Mal,” Evie whispered, not even trying to stop the tears from escaping her eyes, knowing that appearing strong wouldn’t help anyone; especially Mal. “We’re not going anywhere, okay?”

            Her chest tightened with every second that passed, with every word of self-hatred that slipped easily from Mal’s mouth, with the knowledge that she had been part of the reason the girl had broken so completely. _You left me. You left me behind just like my mother did._ A quiet sob escaped her lips as she witnessed the pain she was causing Mal, as she witnessed the terrible thoughts swirling around the girl’s head that tore her apart repeatedly, just waiting for there to be nothing left of the fiery girl Evie had once known. She couldn’t stand the thought of the girl being in so much pain, she couldn’t stand the thought of the anguish coursing thickly through the girl’s veins, and she wanted to help, she just didn’t know where to begin.

            Not being able to stop herself, Evie reached forward to catch the tears traveling down a pale cheek before bringing her thumb to brush gently over the girl’s cheekbone, caressing her face. This time, Mal didn’t pull away from her touch, green eyes never leaving her face. She could tell the girl was searching for the presence of something in her features, behind her eyes, and somehow she knew that she would find exactly what she was looking for. Something behind Mal’s eyes eased, and before Evie could figure out more about how the girl was feeling she was turning toward Carlos, searching him in the same way she had surveyed Evie. She watched as Mal’s heaving chest relaxed, her breathing slowing as if she were no longer panicking, and something inside Evie sparked with hope that Mal had been able to see how much they cared for her in their eyes.

            “Maybe you should get some more sleep,” Lonnie suggested from behind Evie, her voice gentle, as if she didn’t want to overstep any boundaries.

            Mal nodded, gaze flickering between all three of them before focusing on Evie. “Please don’t leave again.”

            Evie felt as though everything shattered around her in that moment, the panicked, desperate look present in the girl’s eyes tugging painfully on her heart. Reaching forward, she slid her hand back into Mal’s and squeezed reassuringly.

            “I wouldn’t dream of it,” Evie replied delicately, sliding her other hand down the leather encasing the girl’s arm until she held a shaking hand between both of her own.

            “Stay with me,” Mal whispered brokenly, seemingly not believing her.

            “I won’t leave you,” Evie reached up to wipe the tears from her own cheek before grasping tightly onto Mal’s hand. “I won’t leave for even a second, I promise.”

            Seeming to relax the slightest bit, Mal laid her head back into the pillow, slowly shutting her eyes as if she were afraid they would disappear if she did it too quickly.  Evie held onto the girl’s hand, watching silently as Mal managed to fall easily into the arms of sleep, her breathing becoming more even after only a few minutes. She remained silent for lack of anything to say, too many thoughts circling her mind all at once.

            _You left me. You left me behind just like my mother did._ She couldn’t get rid of the ache in her chest that formed from those words, the new knowledge hurting more than anything else ever had. _Her mother left her._ The thought made her want to track down the woman and destroy her as much as she had shattered her daughter. Sure, she knew that having parental issues was a thing, having had her own struggles with her mother growing up, but she couldn’t believe that anyone could ever be heartless enough to leave their child behind as if they had never existed. Of course, she didn’t know the details of what had happened between Mal and her mother, but that didn’t put out the fire that now scorched her blood, scraping along her bones and creating a constant pulsing in her veins.

            “I’ve never heard her say much about her mother,” Carlos spoke first, his deep voice quiet as he watched the broken girl sleep. “She’s only ever mentioned a man who pretended to be her father.”

            His voice pulled Evie from the depths of her own fury, and as she returned to reality she found the necklace thrumming against her chest with the anger coursing through her for a woman she didn’t even know the name of. _If I ever meet this woman I’ll…_ but she didn’t finish; she didn’t know what she would do to Mal’s mother if she ever saw her, she only knew it wouldn’t end up being pleasant for the woman.

            “Pretended?” Lonnie questioned. “He wasn’t actually her father?”

            Carlos shook his head. “No, I remember her saying that a man who played the part of her father beat her until she was almost dead.”

            The pain Evie felt for Mal was unbearable at this point. _A mother who abandoned her. A man who beat her near death._ She wanted nothing more than to show Mal that everything was better now, that she was safe here with her, but she couldn’t help but feel as though nothing she could say, or do, would ever be enough for the girl. It was obvious that the girl had experienced too much pain and loss in her life, and Evie felt almost useless trying to figure out how to help her heal from her past.

            “That’s horrible!” Lonnie exclaimed, the pain in her eyes intensifying. “I can’t even begin to imagine how much pain she must be going through.”

            “I don’t think any of us can,” Evie stated quietly, eyes never leaving the sleeping girl in front of her. “But we can be there for her. We can understand her pain, just not in the same way.”

            She met Carlos’ gaze and knew he understood what she was addressing; she was talking about their own pasts. They hadn’t had an easy life either, and both of them had experienced indescribable pain from their mothers, as well as Jay had with his father. All three of them had been abused in varying ways, and though they would never know the pain that resulted from the things that had happened to Mal in her past, they could definitely understand her pain and anguish because of their own.

            “We need to get to class,” Lonnie said after checking the time. “Lunch is almost over.”

            Evie shook her head immediately. “I’m not going to class.”

            “But, Evie…”

            “No,” she interrupted, fingers tightening around Mal’s. “I’m not leaving her. I promised…”

            A sudden sob stopped her from being able to finish her sentence, and before she could regain enough control to continue she felt a hand gripping her shoulder comfortingly. She looked up into Carlos’ brown eyes.

            “It’s okay, Evie,” Carlos smiled understandingly at her. “She needs you the most. Stay with her. I’ll go by your classes after school and ask for the homework.”

            “Thank you,” Evie whispered, leaning into the boy’s touch as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, relishing in the feel of his lips pressing into her temple.

            Once Carlos pulled away from her she felt Lonnie’s arms enveloping her. “Just please, Evie. Don’t forget to take care of yourself as well.”

            “I won’t,” Evie promised, pressing her forehead against Lonnie’s when the girl came around in front of her. “I love you, Lonnie.”

            “I love you, too, Evie,” Lonnie replied, bringing her lips to Evie’s forehead. “I’ll come back after school.”

            The second Lonnie pulled away from her she brought her gaze back to Mal, barely noticing the sound of the door opening and closing as she allowed her mind to be consumed by thoughts of the broken girl she craved to hold against her. Sliding off the edge of the bed, Evie lowered herself back into the chair she had occupied earlier, never once letting her grip on the girl’s hand loosen.

            She was devastated, she was confused, and she was at a complete loss of what to do and think, but there was one emotion burning brighter than any of the others, and that was determination. Determination to understand everything going through Mal’s head; determination to make her see just how wrong she was about herself; determination to do anything in her power to help the girl recover from the scars littering her mind. _Come on, Mal. Tell me what you need me to do, and I’ll do it. Tell me what you need from me._

            Continuing to stroke the top of the girl’s hand, Evie leaned her head down until her chin rested against Mal’s forearm, the zipper on the arm of her leather jacket lightly scratching at her neck as she nestled into the girl as much as she could. She could hear the girl’s desperate voice echoing in her mind; _Please don’t leave again. Stay with me._ A small, broken smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she released a heavy sigh.

            “I’d stay with you for multiple lifetimes if you’d let me.”

 

**_(Mal)_ **

The first thing Mal noticed the second time she woke was the warmth coating her and the weight of something pressing into her arm, and she found her heart freezing when she glanced down to find Evie sleeping on her arm. For a brief moment, she flashed back to her time in the infirmary, remembering everything she had felt when she found the girl sleeping on her arm then, but she pulled herself quickly out of the memory, reminding herself that things were different now. She would no longer work to push the girl away because of the unfamiliar feelings she coaxed from her, she didn’t need the extra help. Evie – just like her mother had – would leave her sooner or later, and she didn’t want to bring that moment any closer than it already was by continuing to push her away. And she would pity herself if she thought she deserved the emotion, well aware that someone like Evie would never need her as much as she seemed to need her.

            A light knocking pulled her from her thoughts, and she looked up to see the door cracking open. She watched as Ben peaked into the room cautiously, clearly not wishing to disturb anything. Something inside her chest sparked with the sight of the boy, and she found herself delighted that he was here.

            “Is now a bad time?” Ben questioned, his mouth curving into a timid smile.

            Mal shook her head in response, letting him know he could enter the room. He closed the door quietly behind him, his gaze flickering over Evie as he approached the bed, the smile still gracing his features.

            “Is she asleep?” Ben asked curiously, gesturing toward the blue-haired girl.

            “Yeah,” Mal answered, bringing her own gaze down to the girl, watching as delicate eyelids flickered the slightest bit.

            Ben nodded as he shifted his gaze back to Mal. “So… How are you feeling?”

            Mal shrugged, keeping herself from meeting his gaze in that moment, not wanting him to see the truth in her eyes. She just kept studying Evie’s features as she rolled her bottom lip around in her mouth, waiting for Ben to move forward with the conversation.

            “I just wanted you to know that I’m here, you know, if you need me,” Ben started, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck, which Mal had already learned to be what he did whenever he was nervous. “I may be just a spoiled King to you, but I want you to know that I’m here, and that I care about you. If you ever need to talk, or just simply get something off your chest, you can find me and I’ll listen.”

            Saying she was surprised would be an understatement. She hadn’t had the slightest idea what the boy had wanted when he arrived, but she definitely would have never guessed it was to explain all of this to her. _I want you to know that I’m here, and that I care about you._ Though she couldn’t quite grasp that concept, something about every moment she had with Ben led her to believe that he truly meant the words he was saying. Her mind swooped in quickly, hissing at her that no one cared about her; _Weak. Useless. Hopeless. Forgotten. Unloved._ But she shut her eyes tightly and repeated Ben’s words over and over again; _I want you to know that I’m here, and that I care about you. I want you to know that I’m here, and that I care about you. I want you…_ and she nearly gasped when the words faded into the background.

            And that’s what made her open up to him.

            “My mother, ever since I was born, always told me how I was a disgrace to her name, calling me a disappointment, calling me weak and useless. She made me feel so small. All I ever wanted to do was impress her, to not let her down, to _prove_ that I could be more,” she took a deep breath, realizing just how badly her voice was shaking as she spoke of her mother, tears burning the skin of her cheeks as they escaped with little resistance. “When I was seven, she left me in the night. I tried to follow after her but I was too cold. Too weak. I was exactly what she thought I was, and I still am, I don’t think I realized that until now, but I’m weak, and I haven’t done a single useful thing in my entire life.” She could see the sincere sympathy in Ben’s hazel eyes, and she almost hated him for pitying her, almost hated that she _wanted_ him to. But she continued. “I survived on the streets for years after that, but eventually Head found me and took me in against my wishes. He told me that everything would be okay now that I was with him. He gave me more food than I could stomach, gave me secure shelter, everything anyone who grew up on the streets believed they could only dream about. I thought I was safe until he chained me in the basement of the agency and tortured me until I was barely breathing. And he didn’t only do it once, it happened several times.” She stopped at the thought that she had never been safe with Head, at the realization that she wasn’t safe _from_ him. “After I leave here, I’ll have to go back to him. If I don’t he’ll track me down and do it again.”

            Ben stared at her for a moment, giving her the chance to continue if she wanted to, but she fell silent, her entire body aching with her past. She swore she could feel the restraints burning every layer of her skin away, swore she could feel the whip slicing through both her chest and her back. She swore she could feel everything that had ever happened to her, every blow her mother and Head had dealt to her, every emotional wound that had slashed deep enough to scar. It all led to where she was now; to how weak she was, to how incompetent she was, to how unloved she was. And it was only now that she realized it wasn’t only how useless she was that kept people from loving her, that no one had ever been capable of loving her because of the harsh way she treated everyone, lashing out at them every moment they spoke and pushing them behind a barbed fence so they couldn’t reach her. Everything was her fault whether it was because of what she was, or how she acted, and she would never forgive herself for being this way.

            “I won’t let him get you, Mal, I promise that I will do everything I can to keep you from falling into his hands again,” Ben spoke softly, the sincerity in his voice ringing through Mal’s ears and restricting her breathing. “You’re safe here, I promise you that.” Ben paused for a brief moment, taking the time to step closer to the bed, his gaze reaching deep into Mal’s. “Despite that, all I can offer you is my help. I can’t change what happened to you, but I can try to help you come to terms with everything. I can offer my help in getting you passed it and helping you create a new life for yourself.” He smiled softly at her, a genuine, caring smile. “Like I said, I’m here for you, even if all you think of me as is a spoiled, seventeen-year old King.”

            Mal found herself incredibly grateful that he hadn’t apologized to her and told her how terrible her life had been, like everyone else did whenever they heard even the smallest moment from her past. She appreciated that he didn’t just tell her that everything would be magically better for her now that she was away from the two parental figures in her life, and more than anything she appreciated that he didn’t tell her that the future _would_ be better, instead only offering his help in helping her make the attempt. There was no sure way to tell if things would get better for her – though she didn’t see how they ever could – but now that she had spoken to Ben she found the smallest part of her almost ready to fight for herself, almost.

            “I don’t…” She couldn’t find the proper words to express what she was trying to tell him. She cleared her throat and tried again. “I don’t think you’re a spoiled King.”

            A bright smile spread across Ben’s face, the action causing the skin on the outside of his eyes to crinkle. “I’m glad to hear that, really, until the dance I thought you wanted nothing to do with me because of my title.”

            Mal rolled the inside of her lip around her mouth as she thought about what to say. “I don’t think I ever really had a problem with _you_. I just think I have an issue with people of power. My mother claimed to be the worst villainess of them all, and people cowered at the mention of her name. She could bend people where I lived to her will, and that gave her power, power that she used against me.”

            “And same with the other guy, right?” Ben questioned, seeming to understand what she was saying. “I understand, Mal. I don’t hold it against you, or blame you for your dislike of a single person holding more power than others. I just hope you’ll see that I’m different than those people. Here in Auradon, we use our power for good.”

            “I do see that,” Mal announced, suddenly getting timid from the idea of her complimenting anyone; _nobody wants your compliments._

            For a moment, Ben smiled at her, his hazel eyes bright with a joy that Mal never believed she could give to anyone. Eventually – just as she started panicking that she had said the wrong thing – he reached down for her hand, and she quickly allowed it to be consumed by his large one, finding herself surprised by how gentle his touch was. Her heart skipped a beat as he leaned down, her instincts yelling at her to jerk her hand away, but she remained still, completely frozen into her current position as his warm lips caressed her cold skin.

            “My apologies, but I do have to get back to my work,” Ben started, his hazel eyes meeting the green of Mal’s as she took her hand back. “I will come back to visit you later, but if you find you need me before then, just come to the castle, the doormen will let you in. I wish the best for you, Mal. Please take care of yourself.”

            Not knowing what to say, Mal simply nodded. She watched as the boy bowed to her before moving back over to the door, the smile on his face planting itself in Mal’s memory so that she could still see his handsome face even after the door closed behind him. _Is this what having a friend feels like?_ Her mind didn’t let her believe the possibility of Ben being her friend for even a moment, and she quickly found her hopes falling apart as she settled back into the pillows. _You have no friends_ , she told herself; _nobody likes you enough to stay._ She shook her head, the weight on her forearm suddenly becoming heavier than before. She brought her gaze down to the beautiful girl using her arm as a pillow, finding herself fighting back again. _No, you’re lying. Evie stayed. She always does._ Her chest squeezed unbearably when she was forced to remember the way the girl had ignored her for a week, only talking to her after she failed to return for longer than twenty-four hours. _She doesn’t care about you. She left_ _you in the infirmary when you needed her help the most. She cut you off like you had never stepped foot in her life. She doesn’t want you around._ She grit her teeth as tears burned her eyes for what felt like the millionth time that day alone; _shut up! Shut up! Just leave me alone!_

            When red-brown registered in her mind she panicked, nearly tearing her arm out from underneath the girl’s head as she felt the kind of fear she wished she never had to experience. She was utterly terrified. Terrified of her own mind; terrified of the feelings that bombarded her every time she looked into Evie’s eyes; terrified of how Evie would react if she ever found out about the things that went through her body; terrified that everyone would remember how useless she was and leave her behind like her mother had; terrified that Evie would break her promise of staying with her. She didn’t want to know what the life of desperately needing someone when no one needed her was like, but she feared she was living it right now and feeling its torturous pain.

            Evie lifted her head from her arm and reached up to tuck a stray strand of purple hair from a pale face, and as if she were reading her mind she said the one thing Mal quickly found she needed to hear the most.

            “Needing people doesn’t make you weak, Mal,” Evie’s voice was barely more than a whisper, and her fingertips felt like a dream as they ghosted over her jaw. “I need so many people that it would take hours to count them all. You are _not_ weak just because you need someone to help you escape the demons that haunt your mind. You are strong for recognizing that need and not distancing yourself from them.”

            She felt herself giving in the same way she had with Ben, and her voice cracked with fear as she spoke the four words that she hadn’t ever wanted to believe.

            “I need _you_ , Evie.”


	26. Chapter 26

**_(Mal)_ **

Green eyes failed to tear from the brown door despite the presence of someone else in the room, her mind unable to focus on anything other than the everlasting internal debate of whether or not the blue-haired girl would return. Her mind told her she wouldn’t, but her heart told her she would. It was a constant battle in her mind unless she was focused on the words coming cautiously from other’s lips, and right now no one spoke, so it was a painfully repetitive loop. _She’s not coming back, she doesn’t care about you; Yes, she_ is _coming back, she skipped three days of classes for me; Stop being foolish, it’s a trick; She’s not that type of person._

            For the first three days after she woke Mal hadn’t gotten more than five minutes without Evie, the blue-haired girl having stayed by her bed constantly, only leaving to bathe and find food, which she always managed to do more quickly than Mal would have ever imagined possible. However, both of them knew they would have to return to school sooner, or later, and it was no surprise that Evie hadn’t been granted the lengthy break that Mal had, and though she wasn’t alone she just couldn’t help but wait for the girl’s return.

            Every inch of muscle inside her body itched, and she wasn’t entirely sure why, but she knew there was nothing she could do about it, well aware that she couldn’t get out of bed. She felt she was too weak to move around, the way everyone constantly coddled her letting her know that she couldn’t do anything for herself; though she hadn’t needed much help believing that. There was always someone with her, and whenever she needed something they told her to remain in bed and received it for her without hesitation, seemingly aware of her general inability.

            Only when the bed sank with added weight did Mal finally manage to tear her gaze from the unmoving door in order to find a freckled face. She offered the boy a small smile as he nudged her leg lightly.

            “Are you tired of sleeping, yet?” Carlos questioned, returning the smile without a second thought.

            “I… I don’t know,” Mal answered honestly, unsure what to think. “Should I be?”

            “Well, I mean, you did spend just about the entire weekend sleeping, and since then you’ve spent a good amount of time sleeping through the day,” Carlos announced, voice holding zero judgement.

            “Just about?” Mal questioned, finding herself curious as to what the boy meant. To her knowledge, she had slept through the _entire_ weekend.

            “Yeah, you woke a few times over the weekend, but you were so panicked that Belle had to drug you so you’d fall back to sleep,” Carlos explained, shifting a bit closer to her on the bed, his brown eyes never leaving the green of hers. “Each time you woke, you seemed to be somewhere else. Monday was the first time you actually saw _us._ ”

            “Oh,” Mal breathed out, not sure what else she could say in response.

            There was something different about the way Carlos spoke to her, his voice less soft, less worried, less coddling. He wasn’t side-stepping cautiously around her like everyone else did when they spoke to her, and it was almost as if he was speaking to someone else, to someone who wasn’t confined to a bed every day.

            “Are you ever going to take a shower?” Carlos questioned casually.

            Mal glanced toward the bathroom door. “A shower?”

            “Yeah, I’m sure you’ve heard of them,” Carlos replied, the glint in his eyes entirely playful, his knee bumping lightly into Mal’s hip. “I mean; you _definitely_ need one.”

            It was tempting to push the boy off the bed, but the fact that she hadn’t showered since the night her and Evie had gotten into an argument made her realize he was right. She glanced over at the bathroom again, analyzing the exact distance.

            “Come on, surely you don’t want to stay in bed for the rest of your life,” Carlos continued, seemingly realizing she wasn’t about to answer verbally. “And even if you _did_ want to do that, don’t you think you should at least freshen up a bit? You know, for Evie.”

            Carlos teasingly nudged her again, and this time she _did_ shove him off the bed, bringing her foot up until she could push it into the boy’s side until he slipped from the mattress and found the floor. Two different laughs sounded through the room, but Mal quickly found hers fading when she remembered something. She remembered an idea that had affected her despite her attempts to remain neutral, her confusion with the feelings that accompanied it making her fear the answer she’d get if she asked the question craving liberty from her tongue.

            “Are you two together?”

            Carlos’ laugh died as well, and he brought his elbow to rest on the edge of her bed as he met her gaze. “No, we’re not. We’re just friends.”

            “You went to the dance together,” Mal was unsure why she felt the need to point that out.

            “As friends,” Carlos pulled himself back up until he was sitting beside her again. “We went together because neither of us had anyone we liked as more than a friend. Well, no one that was available when she asked.”

            The ending of his explanation caught Mal’s attention, but she couldn’t bring herself to ask what he meant, so instead she averted her gaze, her fingers beginning to manipulate the sheet covering her body. Without thinking about what she was doing, she tossed the sheet from her body and quickly got to her feet, having grown uncomfortable with the path the conversation had taken.

            “I’m going to take that shower, now,” Mal stated, completely forgetting the items she would need as she hurried into the bathroom, closing the door behind her and leaning against it.

            It didn’t register to her that she was on her feet for the first time since last Friday until she found her reflection staring at her. Her purple hair was a great deal messier than usual and her eyes were a dull green. However, she hadn’t needed to look at herself to know what Carlos meant by saying she needed a shower; both the smell lingering in the air around her and the way her clothes stuck to her uncomfortably in certain areas making the necessity of bathing perfectly clear. Still, she stood against the door for a lingering moment, the boy’s answer still sinking in. _We’re just friends._ She didn’t know why that made her heart feel lighter, especially considering she knew the two deserved nothing less than each other.

            Not wishing to look at herself in the mirror she moved over to the small cabinet bolted into the wall, pulling a clean towel from the bottom shelf and slinging it over the bar just outside the tub before reaching down to turn the red knob. Peeling the clothes from her body she stepped into the tub, shutting the curtain completely as she stepped into the scalding water, a sigh of content slipping passed her lips as the water quickly soaked her, the heat helping her muscles relax. She took her time washing and shaving, feeling as though she desperately needed it, and once she was finished – even though she knew she had already taken long enough – she found herself standing under cascading water, her hands extended in front of her.

            She slid her gaze over the disturbingly scarred skin of her wrists, reminding herself to make sure she didn’t leave the bathroom without pulling her gloves back on, the accessory having been designed to cover every inch of her burned wrists with the added material. It was why she had never gone anywhere in Auradon without her gloves, why she hadn’t let the infirmary woman remove them despite her attempts to slide them off. Bringing her hand to her ribcage she dropped her gaze, watching her fingertips dance over the ruined skin there. She was positive both the woman _and_ Carlos had seen the large, too-even scar, along with the thick, raised skin traveling from the top of the burn scar to her collarbone; and she was confused as to why neither of them had asked any questions. In the infirmary, she had also worried about Evie seeing the scars on her front, but had been lucky that the girl had failed to notice due to the effect of her more recent wound. When she twisted her arm to feel the thick scars on her back she found her emotions overwhelming her, and so she quickly shut the water off, wanting to busy herself with something else before she allowed herself to be consumed.

            Her breathing quickened as she dried herself off, her mind barreling down on her once again, telling her that she deserved every scar she possessed. She shook her head frantically, sinking down onto the bathroom floor as she slid her fingers into her wet hair, tucking her head between her knees and failing to rid herself of the thoughts. When a light knock sounded through the room she found a heavy breath leaving her lips, and she allowed her weakened state to present itself as she spoke, her voice cracking with each quiet word she breathed.

            “Do you need something?”

            “No,” Carlos’ voice floated through the door, softer than before. “I was just… Do you need anything?”

            Mal almost told him that she didn’t. “Yeah. I forgot clothes.”

            “Okay, anything in particular you want me to get?” Carlos questioned, not seeming uncomfortable with the situation.

            “You’ll only find one shirt out there. Same goes for the pants,” Mal stated, forcing herself back to her feet, finding them less stable than before. “Anything for underneath will be fine.”

            She didn’t get a response, and she figured he had moved away from the door to collect her things, so she moved over to the sink, bracing her hands on the marble countertop as she inhaled deeply. _You’ve got to get a hold of yourself, no one wants to watch you constantly laying around helplessly._ Finally, she lifted her gaze so that she could look into her own reddened eyes. _You have to pretend for them. Let them know that they can go back to their lives. Let them know they can stop pretending as well._

            “I’ve got your clothes,” Carlos called through the door.

            “Just put them on the floor,” Mal returned. “Thank you.”

            The sound of the door opening didn’t slip her notice, but she didn’t turn to grab her clothes, even when she knew he was gone; she couldn’t bring herself to look away from the mirror. She couldn’t tear her gaze from the pale girl staring at her from the other side of the mirror because she was desperately searching for something good about her, something she knew she’d never find.

            She slammed her hands down onto the counter forcefully. “Fucking disappointment.”

            A painful ringing traveled through her bones until it stopped in her elbows, leaving the lower half of her arms and her hands to tingle unpleasantly. Now unable to look at herself any longer due to the disgust she felt when studying those green eyes and sharp features, she turned her back to the mirror, moving over to retrieve the clothes Carlos had left for her. Surprisingly, Carlos didn’t ask her if she was okay; the only thing she could hear was her own taunting mind as she quickly dressed herself. Before she left the bathroom, she made sure every scar was covered, pulling on her leather gloves to finish the job.

            “You have a thing for zippers,” Carlos stated once she had appeared from the steam-filled bathroom.

            Mal didn’t respond with anything other than a small nod as she fell back onto the mattress, this time on her stomach with her hands resting under her chin. It wasn’t a surprise when he sat down next to her, but she nearly flinched when a warm hand came to rest on the small of her back. As much as she knew she should shove his hand away she just couldn’t bring herself to do it, the warmth of his large hand calming and comforting.

            Her silence didn’t seem to discourage him. “You wanna know what I like?”

            “What?” She breathed out quietly.

            “There’s this game called tourney, it’s kind of a confusing mix of rules, but it’s really fun,” Carlos explained, and Mal shifted her head so she could raise her eyebrow in question at him. He laughed. “What?”

            “Nothing,” Mal shook her head, allowing her eyelids to drop over her eyes.

            She nearly choked when the boy spoke again.

            “We should go play.”

            As she coughed a few times, his thumb rubbed gently into her back. Before she could roll onto her side to face him, Carlos had moved so he was lying beside her, mirroring her position almost perfectly, the only difference being that his head was shifted in the opposite direction so they could look at each other.

            “Come on,” Carlos urged, an almost timid smile quirking the corners of his mouth. “I promise it’s not nearly as bad as it initially sounds. I can teach you the rules.”

            “You think I’d be able to play this game?” Mal questioned, not entirely sure she could do anything other than simple, every day things.

            “Yeah! I think you’d be great if you got some practice!” Carlos exclaimed, clearly wanting to convince her.

            And for some reason, she let him. She figured getting out of the room couldn’t be too bad of an idea, though she found her heartbeat accelerating in fear with the thought.

            Still, she found herself saying, “Sure, why not, kid.”

********

The memory of wood splinters tearing through her skin was the first thing flashing through Mal’s mind when Carlos offered her the stick used for the game he loved, and she hesitated for a moment before reaching forward to take the object from his grasp. She could see the look of recognition and sympathy slide through his eyes, but she averted her gaze, not wishing to discuss any of her past injuries with the boy, especially not the one that had led to so many larger issues.

            “Okay, so the stick is used to guide the ball, mainly,” Carlos began explaining, reaching behind himself to grab a yellow shield. “This is needed for the position I play.”

            “Do you hide, possibly?” Mal questioned, quirking her eyebrow as she slid her arm through the back of the shield.

            Carlos laughed sarcastically. “Very amusing, but no,” a small smiled curled his lips upward before he added. “That was only the first time I played.”

            “So you _do_ hide from the rest of the players?” Mal went on jokingly, feeling more like herself with no one around to treat her as though she were a glass bomb ready to detonate at any given moment. It was refreshing, and slightly relieving. “Using this, I presume, to cower.”

            Eyes narrowing playfully, Carlos flattened his palm on the outside of the shield and shoved her own arm into her, knocking her back a step. Another laugh sounded from her, and she was startled by the sound of her own joy. The deep ache devouring her body hadn’t lessened, but she was willing to push passed it in order to be with Carlos, which her heart hoped was progress.

            However, that all seemed to shatter when a familiar figure came into view. The smile dropped from her face and her arms became dormant where they were, her feet carrying her backward a few steps until a warm hand slid comfortingly onto her arm. She met Carlos’ eyes briefly, but quickly returned her gaze to the boy approaching them, and though he walked casually she still found her heart accelerating with fear.

            “A little after-school learning?” Jay asked, stopping a few feet from them, clearly reading the stance Mal had taken and deciding to give her space.

            “I’m teaching her my position in tourney,” Carlos answered with an explanation, a smile curving his mouth.

            Jay crossed his arms, and Mal feared what came next, however, instead of needing to adopt a defensive stance she found her heart leaping into her throat in shock when she saw his mouth quirk in amusement. She had no idea what was happening, and she didn’t know what to expect, but she definitely hadn’t been ready for what came out of Jay’s mouth next.

            “Come on, Carlos, don’t teach her such a waste of information,” Jay started, reaching forward to snatch the tourney stick from Carlos’ grip. “Why don’t I show you the _important_ stuff?”

            Mal’s eyebrows rose in confusion, and she figured she must have looked utterly petrified because Jay soon switched his smirk out for a softer smile. She had to swallow a thick lump in her throat before she could even think about responding verbally, but she somehow managed to force a single word passed her lips.

            “Important?”

            “He means _his_ position,” Carlos announced from beside her.

            “Yeah, the position that actually does something,” Jay teased, reaching out and pulling the smaller boy into a head-lock before Carlos could even register his movement.

            Mal cautiously watched the way the two interacted, her spine finally loosening as she witnessed the way Jay’s eyes glinted with a friendly joy. A week ago she would have never allowed herself to feel so intimidated by someone, in fact, she would have scolded and tortured herself for possessing even the tiniest scrap of fear; but something had changed the night she had relived the most haunting pieces of her life. And due to that change she still felt the fear coursing through her even as she allowed the small smile that tugged relentlessly at her lips to win.

            “Okay, first of all,” Jay began, laughing as he shoved Carlos away from him and instead focused on Mal. “My job is to score points, Carlos’ is to block opponents from getting in the way, which one sounds like more fun to you, Dragon?”

            Her gaze immediately dropped to her left arm, finding the double-dragon tattoo staining her pale skin, completely exposed to the two boys since her jacket remained in the dorm. She released an internal sigh of relief, telling herself she had allowed herself to become worried for no reason; _there’s no way he knows what I am._ And, as the initial worry faded, she found herself enjoying the nickname more than she would ever admit.

            She brought her gaze back to the boy’s dark-brown eyes, lifting her shoulders in a shrug.

            “Right,” Jay laughed lightly, nudging Carlos gently. “She’s just trying to spare your feelings.”

            “Maybe she’s trying to spare _yours_ ,” Carlos retorted, using both his arms to shove the taller boy in return. “Anyway, she can easily learn both.”

            “Fair enough,” Jay conceded, crossing his arms and nodding in agreement. “But we’ll start with mine, since it’s so much more useful than yours.”

            “Whatever,” Carlos breathed out, shaking his head as his eyes met Mal’s.

            She could see the amusement in them and allowed herself to smile at the boy. Movement in her peripheral vision caught her attention, and she shifted her gaze to find Jay lightly tossing the tourney ball into the air repeatedly with the end of the stick.

            “You ready to learn with the best of them?” Jay questioned, tossing the ball at her.

            Reflexively, Mal shot her arm up to block, however, she realized what was happening just as quickly and moved her own tourney stick up swiftly, smoothly cradling the ball in the small dent at the end of it. She found both of them watching her in admiration.

            “Nice reflexes,” Jay praised with a wide smile gracing his features.

            “Thanks,” Mal said, her voice quieter than she had wanted it to be. She averted her gaze, realizing how small and weak she must seem. _How small and weak you_ are. She shook her head to rid herself of the taunting voice, slinging the ball back at Jay. “Let’s play.”

            Both Jay and Carlos smiled at her the way she assumed they would smile at anyone else about to play a game with them, and she felt something flickering deep inside her chest at the thought of them viewing her as an equal, as someone who wasn’t in the midst of an internal breakdown. Without someone looking at her as though she were broken, she felt a weight shedding from her shoulders, and with the boys she quickly found a joy she hadn’t felt in a long time.


	27. Chapter 27

**_(Mal)_ **

Too many eyes watched her as she walked carefully through the crowded streets; too many conversations, too many whispers, as she passed by with her gaze cast downward. It was the first time Mal had been out in public with more than just Carlos, Evie, and Jay within a few feet of her, and she found herself quickly wishing she could disappear. _What are the stories?_ She wondered what words had been passed through Auradon about her, though she held little doubt that they were entirely insulting. She could tell by the similar look present in everyone’s eyes as they met the green of her own, and the look was enough to drag her gaze to the black of her boots. She wanted to ask Carlos what they were doing here, she wanted to ask him if she could leave, and just as she was beginning to debate slipping away a hand on her forearm caught her attention.

            “You find anything, yet?” Carlos questioned, his light-brown eyes delicately demanding contact with green.

            Mal glanced around a few more seconds, her shoulders slumped forward more than usual with the added weight that came from every judging, cautious stare. She simply shook her head in response, but it didn’t take her long to realize that Carlos wouldn’t let up until she spoke.

            “I still don’t even understand what we’re doing,” Mal explained, trying her best not to look at those bustling around them – trying her best not to listen to the words spoken through eyes.

            “We’re Christmas shopping!” Carlos exclaimed as he held up the full shopping bag in his right hand, seemingly ecstatic about the idea. “Christmas is coming up, and you need to get presents for your friends.”

            _Friends._ That was a word Mal still failed to understand in plural. “I don’t…”

            “Shut up,” Carlos interrupted her, seeming to know what was going through her mind. He reached up to slide his arm around Mal’s shoulders. “Evie’s already bought you several things, so it’s probably best you buy her something as well. I’ll give you the money if that’s the issue, but Christmas is a day of celebrating those around you by giving them gifts to show how much you care.”

            “Why would Evie buy _me_ something?” Mal questioned, eyebrows knitting together.

            “Because she cares, you doof,” Carlos’ smile never faded as his fingers curled for a better hold on her, his grip pulling her closer. “Here, this is the store that’s always a safe bet when shopping for Evie. She’s the next person I need to shop for anyway, so maybe we can match our presents.”

            Mal arched her eyebrow in question.

            “You know, I get her something and you get her the thing that goes with it,” Carlos explained, and Mal figured she must have looked utterly bewildered because he ended up stepping forward to grab something. “See, if _I_ buy this book of clothing designs, _you_ can buy her the fabric necessary to make one of the patterns.”

            “Oh,” was all Mal said in response.

            Carlos released a heavy breath. “You’ve never heard of Christmas, have you?”

            “Nope,” Mal answered honestly, eyes scanning the items displayed in the store; anything to avoid the look she knew would be present in Carlos’ eyes.

            “That’s okay,” Carlos said nonchalantly, surprising her. “You’ll figure it out soon enough. Maybe I’ll let Evie explain it to you.”

            Mal wondered if that was a good idea, or a terrible one. She had spent the last few days obsessing over Evie’s schedule, attempting to figure out the exact times she would be in school so that she knew when she would be back to spend time with her; and it had only occurred to her this morning that she was practically turning into a desperate stalker. Having figured this out, she had eagerly asked to join Carlos in order to get away from Evie, now completely terrified of the girl. She was terrified of everything Evie did, of everything she thought, of everything she said. When it really came down to it, Mal knew that she would despise someone’s desperation to be with her, and so she decided it couldn’t be much different with Evie. The only difference is that Evie is more kind than her, therefore she wouldn’t willingly tell someone to leave her alone. One part of her – the piece that had readily told Evie she needed her – wanted to believe the lies that spilled from the blue-haired girl’s mouth, but the larger part always swooped down on her to reveal the truth. Again and again she spun in circles, wishing for one thing, but only seeing the opposite.

            This didn’t happen when she was with Carlos.

            There was no dizzying movement, there was no confusion, no desperation. She didn’t need to wish for anything because she already had what she wanted with him, and the only thing she ever found herself wishing for involving the boy was that everything was as simple as it was with Carlos. She didn’t know what it was, but not even the dark smoke coating her mind could question it. Carlos was her _friend,_ she understood that.

            “What were relationships like where you grew up?”

            Mal startled at the sound of his voice, turning to face him as he approached her, another bag hanging from his wrist; _probably Evie’s present_. She reached up to fix the long collar of her leather jacket. “Relationships?”

            Carlos lifted his hand to gesture to something behind her, and when she turned around she found several pairs relaxing into each other’s bodies with bright smiles, their mouths locking together more often than Mal felt necessary. Turning back to the boy, she realized her face was scrunched in disgust by the sound of his laugh erupting through the large store, and she couldn’t help but allow the corners of her mouth to quirk with her own amusement.  
            “What’s so funny?” Mal questioned despite knowing exactly why he was laughing.

            “Nothing,” Carlos replied, eyes still bright as he shrugged his shoulders. “Your obvious disgust for couples is just amusing to me,” he shook his head in amusement before silently suggesting they move further down the street by cocking his head in that direction. “Anyway, back to the point now that you understand what I mean. What were they like?”

            Mal thought about it for a moment as they walked, rolling the inside of her bottom lip between her teeth. “Um… I don’t think it was really relationships as much as it was gang activity.”

            Carlos snorted in laughter. “Dang, girl, where did you grow up?”

            “I don’t know,” Mal answered honestly, the words slipping from her lips before she could even think about stopping them. She cleared her throat, avoiding his gaze. “I mean… I…” But she couldn’t remember why she kept lying, couldn’t remember why she kept hiding. “I didn’t really grow up in a high-class area, and I don’t know what happened around the areas where there was stability. I know only what was taught on the streets. And relationships _weren’t_ one of those things.”

            “So was this _gang activity_ mostly between boys and girls? Or was there some between girls and girls, as well?”

            Though she didn’t know why they did, Carlos’ words faltered Mal’s steps and had her choking on her own spit from the sudden intake of breath she had pulled in. When she could finally lift her gaze to meet his she couldn’t tell if he was worried, or amused.

            “Excuse me? I’m not sure I understand what you’re implying,” Mal said once she had remembered the proper way to breathe.

            “Well, you see, those couples I showed you back there were made of one boy and one girl,” Carlos began, pointing his thumb over his shoulder. “However, there are other options. Just think of Evie.”

            “I’m not sure how that helps,” Mal shook her head, though she found herself unable to keep the girl’s beautiful face from appearing behind her eyelids whenever she blinked.

            There was a playful – almost evil – glint in Carlos’ eyes when he looked at her now, and Mal felt the sudden urge to back away slowly, however, she was too curious to leave the conversation where it currently rested. She raised her eyebrows in a silent question, telling the boy to continue.

            “I figured you would have figured it out by now,” Carlos announced as his smile widened, the glint in his eyes only seeming to intensify.

            “You’re stringing me along here,” Mal stated, not entirely sure why she was growing frustrated.

            Carlos’ smile only brightened as he shifted his eyes back in front of him. “Well, Evie is a girl.”

            “Thanks for that bit of information,” Mal rolled her eyes, throwing her shoulder into his in annoyance. “I would have _never_ figured that out on my own.”

            “Evie is a girl who prefers the company of women.”

            It took a moment for his meaning to sink in, but Mal felt her chest constricting tightly immediately after she realized what he meant. However, her surprise vanished quickly the second Carlos started laughing hysterically again, having only began after glancing at her briefly.

            “What are you laughing about now?” Mal’s eyes narrowed as she got the sudden feeling she should cover her face.

            Carlos merely shrugged, and she hated him for it.

            They didn’t say anything more as they continued down the crowded street, and Mal found it difficult to return to being unsettled by the stares she received with her mind becoming overwhelmed by the information Carlos had revealed to her. She couldn’t help but wonder if he had purposefully meant to focus her thoughts on Evie by bringing up the topic in the first place, like he had intended to bring the conversation’s path this way from the beginning by asking about relationships. It made her question whether there was more for her to find between the lines.

            But despite this feeling she couldn’t defiantly think of something else; Evie was here to stay in her mind. _Evie is a girl who prefers the company of women._ With the chosen words she wasn’t entirely sure what he meant, but she had a pretty good idea, she just didn’t understand why it made Evie different. _Do girls usually prefer boys?_ She didn’t have the slightest clue about anything when it came to relationships, but she wasn’t convinced Evie preferring girls over boys made her strange; in fact, she herself found girls more pleasing in appearance, having never been slapped speechless by a boy’s looks. She didn’t know if that meant she was like Evie, and quite frankly she didn’t care; she would never get involved with someone in that way.

            Her thoughts only reared away from Evie when something on display in the shop to her right caught her undivided attention, and before she even knew what she was doing her legs were carrying her to the shop and away from Carlos. Coming to a stop in front of the window, she tilted her head to the side in wonder as she slid her gaze over the decorated tourney stick presented in the largest window display case. _This must be a sports shop,_ she thought as she took in the items that surrounded the one that had snatched her attention.

            Something lightly bumping the back of her arm caused her gaze to tear from the tourney stick in order to find Carlos, the boy having made his way next to her without her noticing until their contact. The first thing she noticed was the wide, slightly goofy grin gracing his features, the sight prompting an invisible force to tug lightly at the corners of her mouth.

            “Get it for him,” Carlos spoke first, light-brown eyes flickering to the decorated stick.

            “We’re not even friends, Carlos,” Mal replied, though she couldn’t help but wonder since her last run-in with the boy.

            “That’s not true,” Carlos retorted without hesitation, hand sliding down her arm until her frozen fingers were wrapped in the warmth of his. “He misjudged you at first, he knows that, and he’s trying. As long as you’re willing to try as well.”

            “Try what?” Mal questioned, her eyebrow itching to lift in curiosity and confusion, but she held it in place to mask the emotions rolling through her.

            “You know, the friendship thing,” Carlos’ voice held a hint of amusement, but Mal could still tell he felt uncomfortable in this kind of situation.

            Instead of responding, Mal curled her fingers around the handle attached to the shop’s door and pulled it open, tugging Carlos into the building with her since he seemed to refuse to let go of her hand in that moment. She remained unsure of the truth behind what was between her and Jay, but she had decided that progress couldn’t be made with only one side trying to push forward, and so every ounce of hesitation dissipated as she made her way to the nearest worker.

 

**_(Evie)_ **

“Babe, could you pass me that box over there?”

            With one hand finishing the Christmas lights, Evie used her free one to gesture to the small box sitting at the leg of the table, not quite able to retrieve it herself due to her current mission. Lonnie nodded as she reached down to grab the box, moving closer to her and popping open the lid for easier access.

            “Here you go,” Lonnie smiled brightly at the tall tree. “It already looks beautiful.”

            “Only because the best are decorating it,” Evie replied with a contained smirk, her gaze shifting between the girl beside her and the smaller girl on the other side of the tree helping with the lights.

            “I’m still surprised we’re even allowed to have our own trees in our rooms,” Jane chirped delightedly, blue eyes shining with admiration and joy. “Especially one this big.”

            “Ben’s a sweetie,” Evie stated, plucking a blue ornament from the box to find a place to hang it. “He knows some people need maximum spirit to be happy.”

            “I can’t believe it’s already Christmas again,” Lonnie sighed almost dreamily, choosing another decoration and beginning to help with the ornaments. “It feels like we were _just_ celebrating the end of last year, and now a new year isn’t even a month away.”

            “I hope it brings good for me,” Jane said worriedly, always wary of the things that might happen to her.

            “It will,” Lonnie reassured the younger girl, reaching over to comfortingly rub her shoulder, a genuine smile present on her face. “The new year will be great for all of us.”

            Evie rolled her eyes playfully. “Can we just focus of Christmas first, you two? Because in case you haven’t noticed, winter break hasn’t even started.”

            The two other girls gave her different looks in return; Lonnie’s letting her know she wasn’t amused and Jane’s full of worry – as it always was. Evie couldn’t hold in her laughter as she pushed to her toes to place the top piece on the tip of the tree, her laughter fading into a radiant smile as she took a few steps back to thoroughly admire the finished tree.

            Not even a second into admiring the decorations an unexpected – and extremely welcome – warmth washed over her body and she shut her eyes, inhaling deeply in content as the sound of the door opening suddenly reached her ears. She already knew who she would find as she turned to face the new arrivals, the smile on her face only managing to brighten at what she found herself witnessing. Mal and Carlos were both holding shopping bags that were completely stuffed with various items, however, that wasn’t what made her heart skip several beats. She couldn’t help but stare at the genuine smile gracing Mal’s features, lighting up those breathtaking green eyes that had been dull too often this week, not even the usual anger managing to make its appearance.

            This single smile represented so much.

            It washed away every ounce of worry and pain Evie had felt ever since the girl’s blackout. Mal was genuinely happy, and though Evie knew that would change at some point she had never felt happier for the girl, the glint in her light-green eyes presenting the progress that had already been made, the progress toward love and acceptance.

            They were only small steps, but that was everything Mal needed, even if she didn’t recognize it.


	28. Chapter 28

**_(Evie)_ **

It felt unfamiliarly strange to be relaxing after an entire week of constant studying and testing; needless to say, finals week had completely thrown off Evie’s carefully sketched out schedule. Paranoia had made her study more and had kept her staying after class to receive extra material, and as a result of her increased study schedule she hadn’t gotten nearly enough sleep. However, now that she was allowed the luxury of sleeping any time she wanted – for as long as she wanted – she found herself unwilling to tear herself away from the social callings of her friends, and despite the pull of sleep she kept her gaze scanning those she was currently with, entirely content with staying awake.

            Though she often couldn’t look away from one specific individual.

            She hadn’t been capable of tearing her gaze from the girl before everything had happened, but the way Mal consumed her mind was different now. Mal was beautiful to her in both a physical attraction _and_ an emotional one, before it had been limited to physical. But now Evie had seen the wounds that Mal didn’t cauterize, the scars that she didn’t hide, she had now witnessed the girl’s acceptance of the caution and fear directed to her, and how she didn’t let it control her life. However, despite her love for all those aspects, the one thing that had seemed to seal Evie in where she couldn’t escape was the way Mal embraced everything good _and_ everything bad; she didn’t choose just one like everyone in Auradon did.

            Evie wished she had possessed the ability to accept her differences as well as the ability to ignore everyone’s critical views of her when she was growing up; she wasn’t even sure she knew how to do those things presently. But she didn’t only admire Mal, and it made the girl’s admirable and beautiful characteristics much harder for Evie to think about. She had to keep telling herself to focus only on what was important.

            And that was the fact that Mal was progressing more quickly than any of them had expected her to after only a few weeks, especially given the reactions she seemed to coax from nearly the entirety of Auradon now. Evie had immediately noticed the way everything shifted around the girl, how everyone watched her cautiously, waiting for her to detonate, how everyone kept their distance for fear of somehow becoming a victim of an outburst. It sickened her. She couldn’t believe these so-called ‘heroes’, hiding from anything and everything that proved to be different from their precious ideals, anyone who dare have a scarred heart; thankfully, not all of them behaved this way. Lonnie had gone out of her way several times to bring a smile to Mal’s face – though it didn’t always work – and Ben had seemed to become one of the main reasons for the girl’s progress. However, herself, Carlos, and Jay seemed to understand and aid Mal the most, their experiences on the Isle having given them a past they can relate to Mal’s, even if it was only in the smallest way. They had been given wounds and scars, and together they had learned how to accept them and make them into a golden part of themselves, a part that helped them find who they truly are. Auradon, however, wasn’t the ideal place to be while learning how to accept the darkened parts of life because everyone that was born here – with the exception of Ben – was ignorant to the fact that life would never be perfect. Some would say they were blissfully ignorant, but Evie wouldn’t hesitate to disagree because she knew the necessity of struggle, of pain, of fear, of being occasionally lost. It was a part of life that everyone needed, unfortunately, it was also a part of life that the Isle of the Lost understood while Auradon denied its existence.

            But as she looked at Mal, watching the way her eyes lit up despite the dreary glint visible deeper inside, she could tell that Auradon’s ignorant beliefs didn’t faze her even in the slightest, and she found herself delighted for the girl, well aware that healing would be easier without those beliefs being shoved down her throat; though she didn’t think anything about it would be simple. She wished Mal could recover from everything that happened to her in her past, but she wasn’t stupid, she knew that no one could ever fully recover from traumatic experiences; one could heal, but they would never recover. She knew that the past follows everyone around despite everything, ignoring the beauty of every healed wound by cutting into it so that the burn of blood could haunt once again. It was a personal knowledge. Her own past still invaded her mind, still tied a noose around her heart, still severed her breathing. She still found herself unable to focus due to whispers from her mother, whispers from others she encountered that she would have preferred to never be aware of the existence of; she still woke at night with phantom pain from memories she wished desperately to forget. Both Carlos and Jay experienced similar disruptions in their everyday life, but they now knew how to deal with it, how to help each other heal those wounds again and again.

            And they were all ready to do the same thing for Mal.

            “I am _not_ losing.”

            Evie tuned back into reality because of the sound of Jay’s confident, defensive voice, and as she quickly shifted her gaze from the girl she had been staring at for at least the past twenty minutes to the boys standing in front of a large television, she found that she had missed the beginning of the current conversation.

            “I don’t know if it’s amusing, or disturbing, that you _actually_ believe that,” Mal replied with a disbelieving scoff.

            It didn’t surprise Evie that she was already back to watching Mal, a smile curving her lips with the way the girl’s nose scrunched. She found herself amused despite having little idea about what was occurring.

            Mal continued, arms crossed over her chest while she stood by the cluttered table. “Your entire strategy is almost pathetic, Jay, and your fighting technique...”

            “I’ll show you my fighting technique,” Jay narrowed his gaze as he glanced over his shoulder at the purple-haired girl. “I bet you won’t think it’s so pathetic after it’s been used on you.”

            Before, Evie would have been terrified, already throwing herself between the two to keep them from grabbing each other’s throats, however, she had noticed a shift between them and could tell the words they threw at each other were merely friendly banter. Still, sometimes it put her on edge, and she lifted her body from her lounging state and instead crossed her legs underneath herself, moving closer to the end of Carlos’ bed so that she could act quickly if she felt it necessary.

            “If you can’t beat Carlos, I doubt you could ever beat me,” Mal snorted with laughter, lowering herself gently against the surface of the table, not completely sitting on the furniture, but not entirely standing either.

            “We’ll see about that,” Jay smirked almost evilly, and Evie would have laughed if she wasn’t still so weary of their newly formed friendship.

            _Friendship?_ The word didn’t quite feel right to Evie when studying what was between Mal and Jay; _they’re more like frenemies,_ she thought, deciding it fit better.

            “No bruising each other, you two,” Evie spoke for the first time since they had all gathered in the boys’ room.

            Though she knew all three of them had turned toward her – more than likely surprised she hadn’t spoken since then – she couldn’t help but keep her gaze trained where she knew light-green eyes would meet the red-brown of her own, and she felt her heart skipping several beats when she finally found those breathtaking eyes watching her back. She could feel the boys studying her, but failed to meet their undoubtedly knowing gazes despite her desire to prove them incorrect in their assumptions, which, unfortunately, only proved them the opposite of what she wanted. Despite this feeling, she could only focus on the feelings coursing through her body. Her heart felt like it was fluttering, her stomach threatened to flip somehow pleasantly, her entire body warmed with pure joy, and she could physically feel herself growing lighter. All of these lumped together feelings would have confused her had she not heard the stories, and although a portion of her wanted to deny the obvious, to entirely ignore the possibility, she knew she shouldn’t; she knew she _couldn’t._

            Now that she couldn’t stop herself from thinking about unrealistic scenarios she forced herself to avert her gaze from Mal’s, suddenly unwilling to be entranced by her mesmerizing eyes. _Stop it,_ she told herself, beginning to play mindlessly with the fabric of the comforter; _that’s the last thing she needs._ She could feel Mal’s gaze burning her skin, and somehow she knew curiosity swam through the girl as she studied her. She didn’t want to be someone Mal couldn’t understand, but she restrained herself from lifting her gaze because doing so would mean the girl would see right into her. Still, she felt as though she were completely bare in front of her.

            That was the one thing she disliked, the one thing the stories never taught her. She wished she had been warned that she would feel completely exposed whenever those special eyes watched her, she wished she had been warned that those eyes would always be able to read her no matter how thick the mask she wore was. Part of her felt it was uniquely them and thought it possible that this information hadn’t been written into the stories because it would be false told by anyone else, that same part reminding her that Mal could see through her before they even really knew each other, back when all the girl did was ignore her. Only, it seemed more intense in that moment, felt more intense now that she had fallen into an endless hole she would never be able to crawl out of. She didn’t even know when it had started, let alone when she had crossed the line, but she had easily bypassed the section where she could doubt her feelings, doubt herself, and it had taken her only a few days to give in and accept the obvious.

            Evie finally lifted her gaze, something deep inside of her praying that Mal could truly understand everything just by looking into her eyes as she allowed herself to be captivated again. And she was lucky she could keep the words tied to her mind. _I’m falling in love with you, Mal._ With her eyes, she urged Mal to know how she felt, but she contradicted her wishes by sliding her glazed mask over her face.

            _I’m falling in love with you, and there’s absolutely nothing I can do about it._

 

**_(Mal)_ **

With the fingers of both hands clasped tightly around the motion sensors, Mal swung both her arms in an outward motion, watching with a triumph smirk as the character she controlled effectively took out the remaining life of her opponent. The fight had taken only two minutes. Eyebrow arching in a silent challenge, she brought her gaze to the boy standing next to her with his mouth opened in utter bewilderment.

            “Nice fighting technique,” Mal praised sarcastically, mouth still curved into a smirk as she glanced over her shoulder to find Carlos’ mouth curved in an impressed appearance. “No wonder he’s never won a match.”

            “That’s not true,” Carlos retorted, though he struggled to hold back his laughter. “He’s beaten the computer before.”

            “What level of difficulty?” Mal questioned, completely ignoring the shove she received from Jay in return.

            “Easy, probably,” Carlos answered with a laugh, his light-brown eyes shifting to study Jay in amusement.

            Mal turned to Jay. “Your problem is that you think you can win simply with strength, which is never the case. Technique and strategy will always win over strength, trust me.”

            “Oh yeah?” Jay’s eyebrows furrowed the slightest bit as he carelessly dropped the motion sensors he held on the ground by his feet. “And what makes you a professional?”

            “I’ve been in a few fights during my lifetime,” Mal shrugged, trying to remain nonchalant even as her vision flashed with painful memories.

            “So have I,” Jay announced, seeming defensive – like always.

            “Did you win?” Carlos questioned, though Mal figured he already knew the answer.

            “Some of them,” Jay answered honestly, averting his gaze to the ground. “Nobody wins every fight.”

            “Isn’t that the truth,” Mal breathed out quietly, moving over to hand the sensors back to Carlos.

            As the boy took the items from her hands she noticed something different about the area behind him, and her eyebrows knit in confusion when she realized that Evie was gone. She searched the room for the girl, unsure when she had left, or even if she had. _She could just be in the bathroom._ She settled on that until Carlos spoke beside her.

            “She went to spend time with Lonnie.”

            “Why didn’t she say goodbye?” Mal asked curiously, not thinking about the words coming from her mouth until they seemed to echo around the room. _Why do I even care if she says goodbye to me, or not?_ She told herself she didn’t, but knew it was a lie.

            “She said she was leaving, but I guess you two were too busy to hear her,” Carlos shrugged his shoulders, meeting her gaze with a knowing look that Mal almost detested. “She told me to tell you goodbye.”

            _So she_ did _say goodbye,_ Mal thought, trying her best to ignore the way her body felt lighter with the knowledge. Even after a week she continued attempting to limit her time with the blue-haired girl, still worrying that the girl thought her desperation for her company during the first week unnerving, but she not only did it for Evie’s sake, she did it for her own as well. She had never depended on anyone since her mother had left her, so she wasn’t going to start now, especially not with the one person she felt so off and on with – though she knew it was entirely her fault given how she had always treated the girl. Still, she couldn’t help but feel a magnetic pull toward the girl, and therefore couldn’t help wanting her around.

            “I think… I think I’m going to go to bed,” Mal spoke quietly, clearing her throat before raising her voice in attempt to make herself seem less affected. “I’ll see you two tomorrow.”

            “You sure?” Jay questioned, arching his eyebrow while one corner of his mouth quirked upward. “We could always continue playing.”

            “Go ahead, just remember that you need technique,” Mal replied, meeting the boy’s eyes. “Call me when you’ve beaten Carlos, and _maybe_ we can battle again.”

            Jay rolled his eyes and crossed his arms across his chest, remaining in denial. Mal laughed lightly, meeting Carlos’ gaze briefly with a smile before heading toward the door that led into the hallway. Closing the door behind her she stopped for a moment, her hand still loosely gripping the doorknob as she stood unsurely. After about a minute, or two, she shook her head and began the journey to her shared room.

            She knew she should have stayed and continued enjoying her time with the boys, but something had bothered her about Evie leaving so suddenly. For some reason she found herself incredibly worried, and it wasn’t until she remembered the entire reason she was here in the first place that she realized _why_ she was worried. _Has there been an attack?_ If there had been, she figured it would have been successful, or at least Evie would have been telling everyone about it. _No,_ she decided; _there hasn’t been one._ But she was still worried. _Why hasn’t there been an attempt recently? What are they waiting for?_ It would be intelligent to attack when the protection was separated from the target the majority of the time, and the realization of the added danger she had placed Evie in due to her own selfish fears had her cursing herself. _She went to spend time with Lonnie,_ she told herself; _and Lonnie lives in the same dorm, therefore Evie didn’t have to step foot outside. It would be a horribly idiotic idea for the agents to enter the dorm building in search of her, let alone attack her while indoors. Someone would see them, or at least hear them._

            Deciding she needed to stop worrying about Evie for at least tonight, Mal turned the knob of her own room and entered with little hesitation, closing the door behind her. Moving further into the room she pulled off her leather jacket carefully to make sure her gloves didn’t slip off with it, however, when she remembered that Evie would be gone the entire night she decided to finally remove her gloves as well, something she hadn’t done since arriving in Auradon unless behind a locked door.

            Holding her hands out in front of her she studied the eternally scarred skin, hopelessly wondering if there was a spell she could use to hide her wrists more effectively. She sighed, well aware that there wasn’t. She made her way over to her side of the room to toss her jacket in the closet, her gloves finding their way to the mattress where she could easily pull them on underneath the sheets if she slept long enough for her roommate to return. Sitting down on the edge of the bed she reached down to unlace her boots, sliding them off her feet so that she could lift her legs onto the mattress, however, she stopped with only one leg sinking into the soft material.

            Her gaze had fallen onto the bed to the right of hers, its dark-blue sheets still excessively neat from when their owner had made them so that morning. She didn’t know why the sight of Evie’s bed made her halt her movements, but after minutes she found herself still unable to situate herself fully onto her bed. She was still worried about the girl, worried that she hadn’t really been headed to Lonnie’s room, worried that she hadn’t made it there, worried that she was in immediate danger, or worse. Something clenched around her stomach nauseatingly at the thought of the girl being harmed, and she knew a lot had changed since she had first arrived.

            Not knowing what she was doing or thinking, Mal slid her leg off her bed and got to her feet, silently making her way over to the bed she had been staring at for the past five minutes. The painful knot remained in her stomach as she stopped with her legs pressed into the bed, her mind still caught up more in the horrifying possibilities than reality. And so, without even questioning herself, Mal pulled back the sheets of Evie’s bed and crawled underneath them, pulling the incredibly soft material up to her shoulders as she settled into the middle of the bed, shifting onto her side. Evie’s scent immediately overwhelmed every one of her senses, and she found herself inhaling deeply as she buried her face in the girl’s pillow, allowing the smell of her to embed itself in her memory as she found relaxation in the same warmth she knew enveloped Evie every other night.

            Inhaling deeply another time, she thought; _yes, so much has changed since I first came here._ And she knew that the most alarming change had been that now, if she was given the chance to sacrifice herself to save Evie, she would throw herself in front of the blade without a second’s hesitation.


	29. Chapter 29

**_(Evie)_ **

Immediately after realizing she had fallen asleep in Lonnie’s room, Evie felt her chest tighten. _Mal…_ was her first thought, and though her mind was still hazy from sleep she found her way to the door quietly, sending a blown kiss in Lonnie’s direction when the girl stirred in her bed. She knew she wouldn’t feel nearly as terrible if she had mentioned that she wouldn’t be returning, but since she hadn’t given any clue – having not known herself – she felt it necessary to check in on Mal, while letting her know she was alright as well.

            However, as she walked passed the stairs that would lead to the breakfast buffet always open in the dorm kitchen, she found her movements slowing as an idea pushed into the front of her mind. _I should surprise her with breakfast._ Changing her direction – now with a bright smile gracing her features – Evie descended the stairs and traveled the hallway that led to the kitchen, passing several people already heading back to their rooms with full trays. Despite the few people heading out of the kitchens she wasn’t surprised to find the tables nearly full as other dorm residents chatted animatedly with their friends. Offering other residents a warm smile, Evie placed two plates onto a tray and filled them both with the basics, thanking the workers like she always did as she left the large room. It didn’t take her long to arrive outside her own room, and she carefully balanced the tray between one hand and her hip in order push the door open so she could enter. Before she could turn back around to shut the door she found herself stopping abruptly, her heart fluttering frantically in delight at what she saw.

            Mal’s bed was completely empty, the sheets having been tossed carelessly to hang off the side of the bed, which would have worried her if her own bed wasn’t being used. Mal was turned away from the door, but the side of her face was still visible to Evie, and she had never looked more beautiful. She looked almost peaceful, her face all but buried in the blue pillow underneath her head, her body completely obscured by the comforter that reached to just under a sharp chin.

            A smile more radiant than ever now settled into her features, Evie quietly closed the door behind her before making her way over to the table where she carefully set the tray down, making as little noise as she could. With her heart flipping relentlessly she lowered herself to a crouch beside the bed, never once taking her gaze from the sleeping girl as she reached out to brush her fingers delicately through purple hair, not being able to talk herself out of it; she _needed_ to touch her. Continuing to stroke the girl’s hair she brought her arm to rest on the mattress and leaned her chin down on top of it, her smile never fading even in the slightest.

            “It’s time to wake up, M,” Evie whispered, brushing her thumb over a prominent cheekbone.

            Eyelids fluttered and Mal shifted, her hand emerging from underneath the sheets until her fingers were sliding over the back of Evie’s hand, flattening her palm against the girl’s cheek in the process. Evie tried not to see it as anything other than a dazed reaction, but it became increasingly difficult when a warm thumb gently caressed her knuckle. She wondered why the girl was always so unnaturally warm to the touch, but her train of thought immediately changed when green eyes appeared and she found herself putting all her restraint into not leaning forward to kiss the breathtaking girl in front of her.

            That became a whole world more simple when Mal’s eyes widened in panic. Letting go of her hand, Mal shot into a sitting position, pushing at the sheets frantically in attempt to untangle herself, her panicked movements only causing her to slip from the mattress and onto the ground on the other side of the bed.

            “Mal?” Evie questioned in worry, getting to her feet and hurrying around the bed until she could drop to her knees beside the smaller girl. “Are you okay? What’s wrong?”

            “I… I’m… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…” Mal couldn’t seem to get a full sentence out without stumbling over her words. “I shouldn’t have…”

            A light laugh of relief escaped Evie’s lips when she realized what was happening, and without thinking properly she reached forward to grab hold of both sides of the girl’s face, gently prompting green to meet red-brown. “Would you please calm down? It’s fine, I don’t care.”

            “You… you don’t?” Mal questioned, eyebrows reaching toward each other with concern and disbelief.

            “No, I don’t,” Evie confirmed her statement, her mouth still curved into a smile. “You can sleep in my bed whenever you want, I really don’t mind.”

            She watched as the fear flashing through green eyes slowly dissipated, shifting into confusion, however, she didn’t give Mal another chance to speak, worried that she would only ask her why she didn’t mind; and she knew she wouldn’t be able to lie to the girl. So she avoided that path by getting to her feet and offering her hand to the girl who looked up at her in wonder.

            “Come on,” Evie smiled radiantly, arm still extended. “I brought you some breakfast.”

            After a moment of staring at her hand as if it were completely foreign to her, Mal slid her hand into Evie’s and allowed her to help her to her feet. However, Evie didn’t let go of Mal’s hand once she stood on her own, instead lacing their fingers together and guiding her to the table, and again, Mal let her. She was well aware that Mal could easily refuse any contact with her like she had when they first met, so she relished the fact that she felt fingers grasping tightly onto her own, almost as if she didn’t want her to let go.

            “It might be a little cold, I’m sorry for that,” Evie said, though she wasn’t entirely sure why she felt her cheeks heating as Mal watched her closely.

            “Thank you.”

            That was all Mal said before letting go of her hand and dropping into one of the chairs, reaching forward to claim one of the plates and beginning to eat. Evie watched the girl for a moment before joining her, and together they sat in a comfortable silence while enjoying their breakfast – which wasn’t actually that cold, surprisingly. Trying her best not to glance up at Mal too much she focused more on her food than most people normally would, but she found herself unable to keep her gaze cast downward when the prickling sensation of the girl’s stare lingered on the side of her face, and so she lifted her eyes to find Mal’s.

            “You know,” Mal started, clearing her throat as she watched herself push the remaining food around her plate. “I’ve never actually thanked you before.”

            “You never had reason to,” Evie replied honestly, well aware now that all she had done was pester the girl constantly.

            “You’re wrong,” Mal retorted, shaking her head.

            Evie’s eyebrows knit together in confusion, and she parted her lips to speak, but Mal beat her to it.

            “You came to visit me in the infirmary when you didn’t have to, you didn’t even have to worry about me, but you did, continuously,” Mal spoke quietly, bringing her gaze back to Evie’s as she swallowed thickly, obviously finding it challenging to say these things. “You got rid of Belle when I asked you to. You bandaged my wounds despite being seconds away from passing out. You healed me when it was unlikely that I would ever wake. I have an endless list of things I should have thanked you for, and yet I never did.”

            Having been too caught up in the moment, Evie nearly missed the last moment Mal had listed, however, nothing would have been able to keep her from registering it. _Healed her? What’s she talking about?_ She couldn’t help but wonder if it tied into other confusing things Mal had said, and in that moment – since they seemed to be admitting things – Evie didn’t stop the words from flowing from her mouth, her gaze averting to the table as her mind spun too quickly for her to even attempt to keep up.

            “You once said that… you suggested I use my _powers_ to do something, what did you mean by that?”

            Mal let out a light, somewhat forced laugh. “I’m surprised this didn’t come up sooner.”

            “You don’t have to answer if…”

            “It’s a shame, really,” Mal interrupted her, rolling the inside of her lip around her mouth as she always seemed to do when in the middle of a thought. “You’re probably the most powerful sorceress I’ve ever encountered, and you have no idea what you can do.”

            _The most powerful sorceress? That can’t… I must have heard her wrong._ “I’m sorry, I must have heard you wrong.”

            “I knew you would doubt my words, after all, there’s little reason for you to believe someone like me,” Mal laughed almost brokenly, eyes locked on where Evie’s hands now played with the table drapery. “The thing is… I really don’t know how to say this. I _shouldn’t_ be saying this, but…” another pause while her bottom lip disappeared inside her mouth briefly. “I can feel the magic in you. It hates me, electrifies me. That’s why I nearly died when I touched your necklace.”

            Evie figured she must look utterly terrified because Mal’s cheeks reddened as she reached up to cover her face. She wanted to tell Mal she was wrong, but she was frozen from the inside out, her chest constricting painfully as she attempted to absorb everything the girl was saying to her. _I_ shouldn’t _be saying this. I can_ feel _the magic in you. It_ hates _me. Nearly_ died. The words were chopped apart in her mind, echoing repeatedly until she found curiosity and disbelief flooding from her body.

            “That can’t… _I_ can’t… you’re lying, you’re joking. There’s absolutely no way _I_ could be magic, it just doesn’t make any sense.”

            “Your mother is the Evil Queen, isn’t she?” Mal questioned, completely taking her by surprise by knowing who her mother was; _I never told her…_

            “Well, yeah, but that doesn’t mean I’m a _sorceress_ ,” Evie nearly choked on the word, her heart beating erratically in attempt to suffocate her.

            Mal blew out a breath, but didn’t say anything, clearly unsure how to continue this conversation. But Evie wasn’t finished, she still had far too many questions jumbled together in her mind, all of them waiting for answers.

            “What did you mean when you said you can _feel_ my magic?” Evie asked, not the least bit surprised that it was the first question that made it out of her head.

            “May I?” Mal reached for her hand hesitantly, seeming tired and unsure of herself.

            Without hesitation, Evie slid her hand into Mal’s, loving the warmth and feeling of security that flooded into her body from just a simple touch. Green eyes were soon covered by delicate eyelids, but red-brown remained locked on the girl’s face, watching, waiting for some sort of explanation. Her attention was diverted and her gaze snapped down to her hand – now held between both of Mal’s – when she felt a sudden burning sensation enveloping her hand. It didn’t burn, but it was hot enough that it should have, and she nearly panicked and yanked her hand from Mal’s grasp, having to tell herself to relax and remember that she trusted the girl. However, when green smoke began seeping from between their hands she couldn’t stop herself from pulling away from the girl in panic, only to find that her hand was now surrounded by electricity as bright and blue as lightning.

            “What did you do?” Evie questioned, less afraid of Mal than she was of herself.

            “I can feel your magic because I have my own,” Mal finally answered the question that had led to this entire scene, her green eyes pleading as she turned her palm to the ceiling, only for a smoky green ball to hover above her hand. “ _This_ is what my power looks like.”

            “Then…” Evie shifted her gaze to where electricity still rippled around her hand, creating an almost pleasurable tickling sensation.

            “ _That_ is what _your_ power looks like.”

            “Why is this happening? I’m not _doing_ anything!” Evie was terrified still, not wanting to believe she had magic of her own.

            “Your magic is protecting you,” Mal explained quietly, her voice calm enough to send a sliver of security down Evie’s spine. “I just attempted to burn you, and instead of it hurting you, it hurt me.”

            That’s when Evie finally looked at the skin beneath the glowing green to find fading burn marks, but her emotions turned abruptly down a completely different road when the green light went out and she saw the skin around Mal’s wrist. All the worry she had held about herself disappeared instantly. _Oh my goodness._

            The blue light of the electricity flickered out quickly as Evie reached forward to grab hold of Mal’s hand, pulling it closer to her so she could inspect the girl’s wrist. The skin was scarred and wrinkled, almost as if she had been terribly burned, and the idea that the girl had ever felt such horrid pain sickened her. Eyes glazing over with stone, Mal yanked her hand out of Evie’s grasp, moving over to her bed and grabbing something black from off the mattress; her gloves, the ones Evie had never seen her without. Now she knew why.

            Evie choked over her own words. “Wh-what happened?”

            “Something that’s in the past,” Mal deadpanned, pulling the gloves until they covered her wrists, and the horrid scar.

            “But…”

            “Just forget about it, Evie,” Mal interrupted, green eyes flashing dangerously when they met red-brown.

            There were so many emotions coursing through Evie’s body; horror, pain, disbelief, and anger. She wanted to know how Mal had gotten a single thick scar that traveled her wrist as if it were a bracelet; she wanted to know if her other wrist looked the same given the fact that she wore two gloves; she wanted to hurt anyone who had been involved. But she shoved down the questions that threatened to spill from her, respecting Mal’s desire for her to remain oblivious to her past, and she didn’t chase her when she locked herself in the bathroom, the slamming door echoing through the room and leaving behind an unwelcome ringing in Evie’s ears.

            However, when she heard a light scraping she was standing outside the bathroom before she even knew what she was doing. Her stomach twisted and an ache settled deep inside her chest when she heard a muffled sob from the other side of the door, and she dropped to her knees to press her forehead into a specific area of the hard surface, somehow knowing that Mal was doing the same.

            It was Mal’s voice that was heard first. “E?”

            “I’m here,” Evie whispered brokenly, wanting nothing more than to possess the ability to stop the girl’s pain, to erase everything that haunted her.

            Tears burned the corners of Evie’s eyes at the pain evident in the girl’s voice, and she allowed them to escape as she brought her hand up to rest against the door, closing her eyes as she focused on keeping her breathing calm. She wasn’t expecting Mal to say anything else, but she didn’t need her to, she just needed the girl to understand that she was here for her, even if she had to live the rest of her life outside the barrier placed between them. Before she could calm down enough to say anything without choking on her tears the door disappeared from beneath her touch, and she opened her eyes to stare into the ones that invaded her every thought.

            She opened her mouth to say something, _anything_ , but instead she found her arms wrapping around a petite body as Mal fell into her, and she held onto the girl as though it was the last thing she’d ever do. Fingers gripped the back of her shirt desperately as tears stained her shirt, and she fit her chin on the top of Mal’s head as she brought her fingers to thread through purple hair, exhaling deeply as her eyes fell shut again so that she could focus only on the feeling of the girl in her arms.

            “I’m here,” Evie whispered again, pressing her lips to the girl’s head. “I will _always_ be here.”

            Suddenly – as though it had never been there – the barrier keeping her from Mal shattered around them, leaving them to become hopelessly tangled in each other in every sense, both physically and mentally, as that same barrier surrounded them both so that others couldn’t touch them. She wondered if it was meant to be this way, and somehow knew that Mal believed they had been created to fit together as one.

            “Thank you,” Mal breathed out shakily, her touch alone warming Evie’s entire body while her mind and heart filled every crevice her touch could not.

             And she believed, too.


	30. Chapter 30

**_(Mal)_ **

Discomfort ricocheted through Mal’s body for several reasons as she exited the dorm building into the slightly chilled afternoon air, and she wasn’t entirely sure which one constricted her chest the most; the memories of the morning that now rested only a short way into the past, the idea that she had been summoned to the castle, or the tanned boy who walked beside her. A part buried inside her threatening to rise told her that it was the first one.

            Having never experienced what the people she was now with called ‘a holiday’, she hadn’t entirely been expecting the bright and beautiful face of Evie as she was gently coaxed from sleep, the warmth of the girl’s body hovering over her being the only reason she hadn’t woken with a startled cry due to the haunting memories that had been plaguing her unconscious mind; the memories that always plagued her during the night. And she definitely hadn’t been expecting to see presents stacked into four neat piles. She had counted again and again, trying to remember how many people Evie had mentioned coming for Christmas morning, but quickly found out that only Carlos and Jay were to keep them company. Carlos had told her Evie had bought her several presents, but she hadn’t entirely believed him, unsure of how anyone – especially Evie – could care about her enough to include her in the festivities, and as she had stared at the surprisingly sizable pile she realized that the blue-haired beauty hadn’t been the only one to get her something.

            By the time she had gotten a message asking her to stop by the castle at some point during the day she still hadn’t completely registered the amount of presents she had received, or deciphered the presence of adoration she had glimpsed in both Evie’s and Carlos’ eyes whenever she had met their gazes. She hadn’t been nearly as surprised as she felt she probably should have been when Evie had immediately offered to accompany her. She had denied her quickly, only for Jay to follow her out of the room with the intention to escort her to the castle, and given the fact that this was the first time she had really been alone with the boy she had immediately tensed as they descended the stairs to the lobby.

            Now they journeyed side-by-side as they made their way to the towering castle that housed the royal family. Mal’s teeth still ground together at the thought of one person holding such unwavering power over united kingdoms, especially a seventeen-year old boy, but she bit back her distaste for the idea since Ben had never given her a reason to fear him. Still, she couldn’t stop the images of being controlled, chained, and tortured by the power wielded by a single man from flashing across her eyelids every time she blinked.

            Her discomfort only grew as the guards by the castle doors watched them closely as they approached, not missing the thin layer of distrust coating their judging eyes. Before, Mal would have snapped at them, or possibly even hit them, but now she merely averted her gaze to the ground where her feet landed on the ground as she came to a stop.

            “Ben sent a note saying he wanted to see Mal,” Jay spoke before she could even wonder if there was something official she had to say.

            Their gazes slid over Mal again, and she found herself surprised when she couldn’t feel the heat of their eyes, having grown accustomed to penetrating stares due to how much time she spent with Evie, the girl having watched even when she had spent her days trying to successfully ignore her; a mission that had clearly been impossible given how determined the girl seemed to be. She thought; _maybe it’s only Evie._ It wouldn’t surprise her, the blue-haired girl having an impeccable skill in seeing straight into her and understanding everything she never dared whisper into the air. She didn’t know if she enjoyed it, or feared it.

            Finally, the guards opened the door for them, and she glanced up at Jay, the boy gesturing for her to enter first. So she did, avoiding eye-contact with the guards as she stepped into the castle, remembering that the last time she had been inside this enormous building she had been drug in at the orders of a furious middle-aged man; Ben’s father. Jay repeated his announcement to the next guard, and the armored man grumbled as he led them down a hallway and to an overly spacious room, the capacity of it causing Mal to inhale sharply before her gaze landed on the tall, sandy-haired boy sitting at the large table in the middle of the room.

            “Your Majesty, the girl has arrived.”

            Every head turned to the doorway, and only one smile greeted her as recognition settled into the royal family’s features, though a second – more hesitant – one arrived shortly after as Ben’s mother tried her best to appear welcoming. Mal figured she had caused the woman enough trouble to make the sight of her unsettling, and a sharp spike in her head reminded her that she was used to being viewed with disappointment and disgust. Shaking the pain from her mind she watched as Ben grabbed something from the seat beside him, standing to make his way over to where she and Jay stood, still waiting by the door their escort had closed as he slipped from the room.

            “It’s good to see you again, Mal,” Ben greeted, his smile never fading as he came to a stop only a foot away from her. He tampered gently with the package in his hands before holding it out to her, using his other hand to scratch the back of his neck as he chuckled awkwardly. “I got you this. I mean, it’s not much, but I hope you like it.”

            Mal’s throat constricted at his words, her green eyes dropping to the delicately wrapped package in his hands, hesitant to accept it. “I… you didn’t…”

            “I know,” Ben interrupted, seeming just as nervous as her, if not more. “I just… I saw it and thought of you, so I got it. Merry Christmas.”

            “Merry Christmas,” Mal breathed out, the words foreign on her tongue as she finally reached forward to clasp the present in her hands.

            “Go on, open it,” Ben’s smile grew wide once again, his hazel eyes glinting with hope.

            Having not believed that she’d gotten even a single present in the first place, possessing another one felt utterly strange to her, the packaging smooth under her dry fingertips as she slid them over the surface in search of the easiest way to pry it open. Part of her mind screamed at her not to accept the present, that she didn’t deserve a single one, let alone the pile she had woken to this morning, but she defied herself by swiftly tearing the tape sealing the package before her mind could talk her out of doing so. Jay looked curiously over her shoulder as she slid the book out of the wrapping, its purple cover completely blank except for the word that stretched across the top; _SKETCH._ Eyebrows knitting together she brushed her fingertips over the indented word, wondering why Ben would give her a sketchbook.

            Mal slowly lifted her gaze to hazel eyes. “I don’t know…”

            “Don’t say anything,” Ben interrupted, clearly reading what she had been about to say. He brought his hands together behind his back and cleared his throat with a light chuckle. “I’ve seen you admiring the art that’s displayed in the hallways. And when I was last visiting you I saw the journal you keep on your bedside table, it was propped open and there were several sketches littering the pages. You’re incredibly talented, Mal, and I thought you might enjoy having a book just for sketching.”

            For the first time in her life, Mal found herself utterly dumbfounded. She had no idea what to say to Ben, how to thank him. The boy never ceased to surprise her with just how much he listened to her, how much he noticed simply from the things she surrounded herself with. Her heart screeched a warning that Ben had seen her spell-book, but everything else inside her told her she didn’t care, that he was worth trusting. The idea sickened her, coiling her stomach over repeatedly with the thought that she could ever trust a King, the overflowing power he held in his hand screaming at her to despise him though he had never done anything to her that suggested he took advantage of that power. And it was only now that she realized Ben would never strive to control her, never chain and torture her in the way she had been so many times. It was a power he didn’t wield, one that he possibly didn’t even want.

            With that realization, she didn’t think twice when she stepped forward and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, burying her face against his shoulder and inhaling the pleasant scent of him. It was incredibly different than the only other scent she had allowed herself to bask in, and though her chest craved for the sweetness of Evie she found that she didn’t mind the smell currently radiating onto her and settling in. Strong arms slid around her body shortly after she had thrown herself into the tall boy, and she quickly found herself not wanting to let go, the comfort from Ben’s embrace warming her entire body as a word she’d heard spoken millions of times flashed through her mind. _Friendship._ This was what it felt like, and she decided that she could definitely get used to the feeling.

            “Thank you,” Mal said as she stepped away from the boy, her arms falling back to her sides, the sketchbook now clasped tightly between her fingers and palm.

            “It was my pleasure,” Ben replied, smile brighter than she had ever seen it. “I hope you’ll let me see what you draw in it someday.”

            Mal nodded, dropping her gaze to the book bound in purple. _You should have gotten him something._ Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, ridding that sentence of its accusation by telling herself that she couldn’t have known he had planned on getting her something.

            “I should get back to my family,” Ben spoke again, glancing over his shoulder briefly. “I’ll come see you later?”

            Once again – for lack of any words – Mal merely nodded.

            “Okay, I’ll see you later,” Ben reached out to gently squeeze her shoulder. “Merry Christmas, Mal.”

            When Ben finally turned to leave he offered Jay a wave, and Mal shifted so she was facing the shorter, tanned boy who was lowering his arm from returning the gesture. Dark-brown eyes lowered to meet light-green, and a thick eyebrow arched as Jay asked her a silent question; _you ready to head back?_ Nodding, she followed Jay out of the large room and kept her pace behind him as they exited the castle, the excessively clean and organized decorations still unsettling to her.

            Once they were outside, however, Jay slowed his stride until they were walking side-by-side, seemingly growing uncomfortable with the idea of leading her. Neither of them spoke; Mal too caught up in her thoughts, and Jay seeming to recognize and understand that. The silence was only broken when they approached the school on their way back to the dorms.

            “Hey, I need to grab something from my locker real quick. Is that cool?”

            Slightly confused as to why he felt he needed to ask permission, Mal answered his question with another. “Do you want me to wait for you?”

            “If you want,” Jay shrugged nonchalantly. “You don’t have to, though.”

            Nodding her understanding, Mal came to a stop as Jay turned to make the short journey to the school, disappearing around the corner to another set of outdoor lockers.

            Her gaze slid over the building and a small sigh brushed passed her lips as she studied the school’s shield, the beast symbol in the middle of the crest seemingly taunting her. Even before she had broken down and been withdrawn from the school she hadn’t really _attended_ , only showing up to classes to keep a close eye on Evie. She hadn’t learned a single thing – she hadn’t cared to – had never even glanced at one sheet of paper handed to her before tossing it to the side and forgetting about it completely. She hadn’t regretted it either, not until today. Now, when she looked at the stone building her chest tightened with mixed emotions. She wanted to actually attend, she wanted to learn, she wanted another chance.

            Eyelids fell over tired eyes as another heavy breath escaped cracked lips, Mal’s head beginning to hurt with the knowledge that she couldn’t catch up no matter how hard she tried to. She hadn’t had even a month of schooling; let alone the years she would need to be at the proper level. If someone asked her to solve a mathematical problem, she wouldn’t be able to do it; if someone asked her to recall history, she wouldn’t be able to do it; if someone even so much as asked her to write, she wouldn’t be able to do it. Sure, she knew how to speak and read, but she wouldn’t know how to even begin shaping those letters herself, let alone spell the more challenging words. Not only had she grown up with a woman who didn’t care for her in the slightest, but she had spent the rest of her time in an agency that found little need for written words; it was a wonder she even knew how to read. _There’s no way,_ she shook her head, keeping her eyes shut in attempt to shut out the thoughts of education. _There’s not even any point in trying,_ she realized as she remembered why she was in Auradon.

            Someday, she would be gone, and she would probably never return; she couldn’t. She knew that Head would never allow her to return to Auradon and live out a normal life, he’d rather kill her than let her slip through his fingers. No; she would still have to steal the necklace and hand it over to Head, and as she thought about how long she had already been here she realized she would have to do it soon if she wanted to avoid his wrath. In fact, the agents from other agencies had seemingly stopped lunging for the necklace, which meant they believed she already had possession of it; it meant they were planning their attacks on Head at this very moment, thinking he would be the owner of it before the week came to an end, or that he already was. She needed to act _now_ , and the idea of stealing from Evie – or even having to kill her – and disappearing from this life forever twisted her chest more than she would have ever thought it would.

            Her eyes still closed and her attention soaked up by her mind, she didn’t hear the approaching footsteps, the threat whispered in the force behind every step, and she only opened her eyes with enough time to shift her body so that the blur connected with her forearm instead of her head. The unforgiving force behind the blow would have easily killed her, but instead she felt the sharp pain of a bone snapping coat her entire arm as her knees collided with the soft grass. Before she could think about how to respond, thick calloused fingers gripped her throat and crushed her windpipe as she was lifted briefly from the ground only to be slammed harshly into it a second later. She couldn’t breathe, and black coated her vision as she reached up to grab hold of the wrist attached to the hand holding her, prepared to use any amount of magic necessary. But she stopped abruptly when a realization hit her, and it was enough to have her hand falling back to the ground limply as her breathing came raggedly through her nose.

            “ _This_ is the bitch that killed so many of our brothers?” The man holding her spat, his teeth bared at her as if he wanted to rip out her throat. “She’s pathetic.”

            _She’s pathetic._ Those words rang louder in her mind than anything else they said, and their voices quickly vanished as she was torn from reality. _Weak. Useless. Hopeless. Forgotten. Unloved._ Being caught off guard hadn’t stopped her from winning fights before, and she could easily win this fight as well if she used her magic, but that was just it; she needed her magic in order to win. _Weak. Weak. Weak._ _You couldn’t win a fight without your magic even if your life depended on it. Useless. Useless. Useless. Your only value is your magic; you can’t even write. Hopeless. Hopeless. Hopeless. You beg for things that will never happen, for love you’ll never find. Forgotten. Forgotten. Forgotten. Jay left without you, and he wouldn’t even save you if he saw you pinned down like this. Unloved. Unloved. Unloved. Nobody would care if you died._

            And she just took the abuse, both mental and physical, waiting for the moment everything would finally turn to black. She thought of Evie, her chest constricting as the girl’s beautiful face covered the back of her eyelids, and as she glanced at the purple book lying on the ground a few feet away from her, wondering what it would feel like to stain the pages with ink, she slowed her breathing, the pain from the fingers gripping her throat causing her eyes to water.

            She could fight, she could easily win if she summoned her magic to burn the men to crisps, but she didn’t. However, it wasn’t only because her mind shouted at her again and again that she didn’t deserve to continue living, in fact, that hadn’t been a considered factor in her decision to lose at all. The decision had been made based solely on the fact that she didn’t want to go through with her mission; she didn’t want to give Head the satisfaction of possessing the necklace that was meant to caress Evie’s flawless skin, and she didn’t want to return to her old life, but most of all, she didn’t want to take the necklace from the girl that had crawled effortlessly into every part of her. If she went through with it she would be taking everything Evie had told her, everything she’d given her, and drowning it in the bottom of the ocean; she would be stating that she couldn’t care less about every moment Evie had told her she cared, every moment she had fought to get to her side; she would be shutting down everything Evie believed about her and proving everything she had once believed about herself; she would be disappointing Evie in a way worse than she had her mother.

            And she couldn’t stand the idea of disappointing the girl that now ran through her veins, feeding her heart with energy and desire, the girl who made her want to discover herself, the girl who made her want to open to a world that had only repeatedly beaten her down.

            If she died here, right now, she wouldn’t have to go through with the mission given to her, she wouldn’t have to kill Evie and take her necklace back to the man who was using her for his own personal gain. Evie would be left without protection, but Mal knew enough about the girl’s friends to know that they wouldn’t allow anyone to hurt her; Evie had Jay and Carlos, Lonnie and Ben, Doug and Chad, she didn’t need Mal too. Mal wouldn’t mind dying knowing that she would finally be free, that she would finally be liberated from Head, liberated from herself, and she would gladly die knowing that she would never have to harm Evie.

            However, the darkness never washed over her, and she was led from her personal world by the feeling of the fingers around her neck being torn from her skin, the air rushing back into her lungs dragging her the rest of the way into reality. Gasping, she glanced around in search of the agent, only to find the man wrestling with Jay, the tanned teenager holding his ground despite being a noticeable amount smaller than the brutish man he fought. _He saved me._ She couldn’t believe it. Jay had thrown himself into the agent in order to get him off her, in order to keep her from dying. _Jay saved me. He rescued me. He cares._

            Her mind went reeling at the last two words.

            _Weak;_ every fight she had won since arriving flashed through her mind. _Not weak, but a fighter._ _Useless;_ Ben’s words when he had given her the sketchbook. _Not useless, but talented._ _Hopeless;_ the progress she had been told she’d made. _Not hopeless, but recovering._ _Forgotten;_ Jay throwing himself into danger for her. _Not forgotten, but rescued. Unloved;_ every word, every look, every touch she had been given from both Evie and Carlos. _Not unloved, but wanted._

            It was only now that she realized she _wanted_ to live, that she wanted to give everything she had received and more to those who had changed her life. Evie had fought to be allowed by her side; Mal would give everything to earn her place in the Princess’ life. Carlos had taught her about caring and friendship; Mal would be the best friend she could for him. Ben had made her realize what she wanted mattered; Mal would show him how much he mattered to her. Jay had showed her that people deserve protection; Mal would protect him with every ounce of fight she had in her.

            And it was for the stubborn girl who fought to show her that she’s truly worth something; it was for the boy who had cared enough to stay; it was for the King who refused to chain and control her; it was for the enemy turned friend that fought for her; it was for all those she cared about that she fought, it was for them that she _lived._


	31. Chapter 31

**_(Mal)_ **

The first flash of black in her peripheral vision had Mal throwing her body to the side in order to avoid the blow that had been directed at the center of her face, however, she found a hiss breaking passed her lips when she went to push herself up, the fragmented bone in her forearm screaming in agony. Her right side collapsed under her, but she forced her left arm to support her weight on its own as she pushed to her knees, wasting little time in throwing her shoulder into the area just beneath the man’s ribcage, well aware that it would disable the agent, if only long enough for her to make her next move. _Funny how they attacked only after I thought about it._ As he fell to the ground she moved swiftly to her feet, swinging her right leg around to connect with his temple, only to find that her body went crashing to the ground as well when a large hand gripped her calf, throwing her off balance.

            “You little shit!” The agent cursed, grip tightening as his other hand reached for something in the inside pocket of the jacket he wore.

            Mind swimming with pain, Mal thought as quickly as she could and brought her other leg down until her legs circled the man’s head. A hot flash of pain sliced through her calf, but she slid until her knees clutched either side of the agent’s head, and with every ounce of strength she could muster she twisted her legs to one side in a swift movement, the sickening crunch of thick bone snapping seeming to ring through the crisp air.

            _Not weak, but a fighter._ Mal released her vicelike hold on the agent when his body fell limply against the ground, maneuvering her left leg out from under his fallen body as she turned onto her stomach in search of the boy who had rescued her. She found Jay holding the agent against the ground, the two of them struggling against each other as the younger male slowly lost the dominance; Mal knew she needed to help. Jay wouldn’t kill the man, only hold him down or render him unconscious, but letting any of them get away wasn’t an option she had, so she stood on unstable legs and limped over to the two, lifting her stronger leg and throwing her heel into the man’s jaw with enough force to snap his neck.

            The mixture of confusion and horror swirling in dark-brown eyes as Jay looked up at her would have nauseated her had she not slipped into a numb fighting state of mind, however, instead of worrying about what the boy currently thought of her she made her way back over to the guy who had attacked her, well aware that searching and getting rid of the bodies took priority over healing. Ignoring the burn of the gash across her leg, Mal crouched down beside the body to begin searching for orders, or notes.

            “What was that all about, Mal?” Jay’s voice was laced with anger and worry, two emotions she hadn’t been aware could mix. “Who were those men? Why did you kill them?”

            And Mal would have answered him, had the sudden sound of crunching grass and leaves not demanded her attention shortly after his voice faded. _They didn’t come alone._ Raising back to her feet she glanced around at the agents approaching, counting; _five. Shit._

            “Mal…” Jay’s voice came again, this time more urgent as he surveyed the brutes coming quickly in their direction. “What the fuck is going on?”

            “Stop talking,” Mal hissed under her breath. “There are a few things I need to do.”

            There were too many things she had to do before the second fight began, and as far as she could tell not nearly enough time to be able to successfully complete them; but that didn’t mean she wasn’t about to try. _Okay, most importantly._ Closing her eyes, she dug deep into her magic, reaching out for the luring presence of the girl, a large sigh of relief escaping her lips when she felt Evie safe in the dorm kitchens. _Stay safe, Princess,_ she thought as she pulled her magic back inside of herself. _Next…_ She curled her fingers around her forearm, grinding her teeth together as she prodded the fracture; _that’s quite an ugly one._ With a deep breath she pushed the tips of her fingers into the dip between bone and summoned her healing magic, doing her best not to release the scream that threatened to tear through her as two pieces of the same bone were sewn back together to become one again. A light sheet of sweat formed along her hairline due to the pain, but before she could reach up to wipe it off a hand grabbed hold of her shoulder.

            “What are you doing?” Jay whispered, eyes now glued to her.

            “Healing myself,” Mal breathed out heavily, forcing out a laugh. “You don’t think you can win this fight alone, do you?”

            “I was right, you _are_ crazy,” Jay chuckled, no sign of hatred or disgust in his voice.

            It surprised Mal, the absence of hatred, but that was something she could think about later, right now she needed to protect the boy the way he had protected her. _Not forgotten, but rescued._

            “You ever fix that technique?” Mal questioned as she pushed off the boy’s body, her magic caressing the air around her as her strength and energy returned to her.

            Jay snorted, turning to face the agents coming from the other direction. “Why don’t you just watch and see how it’s done?”

            “We’ll see about that,” Mal smirked.

            Though she wasn’t entirely sure it was sane to behave this way in the kind of situation they were in she couldn’t be happier that Jay was with her, their banter relaxing her in a way it never had before. _I can do this,_ she released a heavy breath; _I have Jay._

            Back-to-back, Mal and Jay waited until the first agent reached them before shooting into action. Pushing from the strong body behind her, Mal extended her left hand toward one agent while throwing herself at the other, dropping at the last second to ram her shoulder into the man’s set knee, snapping it backward and sending his sprawling body over her rolling one. Rolling onto her knee she curled the fingers of her extended arm tightly into her palm and watched as the other agent fell to the ground suffocating. _There’s two unable to fight, and there’s two more with Jay._ She barely caught a glimpse of Jay flipping over one agent and throwing his foot into the other before a blow to her shoulder had her twisting around; the fifth agent. Throwing both her hands out in front of her as she landed on her back she forced the man to a complete stop, the knife in his hand aimed at her throat, before slamming her foot into his stomach and sending him backward. She released the paralysis spell she held on him, but was standing over him before he even had the time to reorient himself, her hand extending, fingers curling, and wrist twisting sharply to rip the life from his body.

            Before she could turn to check on Jay she felt a hand coming to rest on her shoulder, and she would have flipped the person if Jay hadn’t spoken shortly after. “See? Told you I knew how to fight.”

            Instead, she snorted. “I guess I owe you an apology.”

            “I guess you do,” Jay replied with a light laugh, his fingers squeezing her shoulder comfortingly.

            “Well, don’t hold your breath,” Mal told him as she turned to face the agent struggling to crawl away from them with a shattered knee. “You’d die before I finally gave you that apology.”

            Brushing passed the boy she moved over to the struggling agent, summoning a green flame and allowing it to dance around her fingers as she came to a stop beside him. She stared at the symbol etched into the arm of his jacket, recognizing it but not enough to pin it to an agency. Her orders had been clear; she was to eliminate anyone who came after the artifact, however, something about the symbol tugged at the back of her mind, telling her to hold off on killing this man, and though she wasn’t entirely sure why she did, she decided to listen to that voice.

            “Jay, can you search their jackets and find me their official orders?” Mal asked the tanned boy without taking her eyes off the agent sprawled before her.

            She didn’t get a verbal response, but she could hear the ruffling of jackets and papers being searched through as the man by her feet rolled onto his back to look up at her, pure hatred and agony dancing behind his cruel eyes.

            “You’ll never get away with this,” the brute agent spat, still attempting to appear intimidating despite everything. “We’ll find you eventually. We’ll kill that little girl of yours.”

            Typically, Mal would have lashed out with fury by now, especially after that last threat had reached the air between them, however, the calm, icy rage she had slipped into kept her from slowly burning the man to a crisp like part of her wanted to. A hand tapped her shoulder just before Jay appeared by her side, an open envelope held between his fingers as his dark-brown eyes narrowed on the man who had just threatened not just one of his friends – Mal realized – but two. Grabbing the envelope from her friend’s grasp she flipped open the paper to read the name of the agency these men had come from, her jaw clenching when she recognized the name immediately. The paper was quickly replaced with ashes as she encased it in her magic.

            “You’re going to do something for me,” Mal spoke with an eerie calm, the fire burning bright in her eyes letting the agent know just how furious and utterly serious she was. She crouched down, tipping her hand to let the ashes sprinkle to the ground between them before continuing. “You’re going to tell Head that I’m done taking orders from him. Tell him that, if he so much as _thinks_ about harming Evie, I’ll burn his precious little agency to the ground.”

            She didn’t even wait for an answer before she waved her hands over his body and engulfed him in her magic, sending him close enough to the agency to actually get there, but far enough away that it would cause him a tremendous amount of pain to travel by himself. As she stood she wavered, and Jay had to catch her, but she pushed back to her feet and swung her hand in the direction of the rest of the bodies, watching them disappear as she sent them directly back to her old agency; a more serious message. The spell leeched the last of her magic from her body, and she collapsed to her knees, but Jay was there for her before she could let out another heavy breath, his hands coming to rest on her back in order to keep her upright.

            “What’s happening, Mal?” Jay questioned, dark eyes surveying her body for any injuries. “Are you hurt still?”

            Mal shook her head. “I… I’m drained of magic. There’s a limit for most of us.”

            “Most of you?” Jay’s eyebrows reached toward each other. “What are you talking about?”

            _There’s a limit for all of us except Evie._ Mal wanted to say, but knew she shouldn’t. She knew she had to explain everything to Jay just as she had with Carlos, and she couldn’t help but hate herself for dragging both of them into her mess, but something closer to the surface told her she _wanted_ them to be with her, that she was delighted to have them beside her in this spiraling disaster.

            “Evie can’t know,” Mal breathed out, well aware that the girl needed to remain oblivious for as long as she could; if she didn’t her magic would consume everyone and everything around her. She needed to know how to control her power before being brought to light about everything. “She… She’s in danger, Jay. I was sent here to protect her.”

            “You were what?” Jay questioned, completely bewildered.

            “I promise I’ll explain everything to you, but we need to get out of open field,” Mal said as she glanced around the surrounding area and pushed herself to her feet despite the fatigue washing over her.

            Jay nodded, moving quickly to gather the book she had dropped and whatever he had retrieved from his locker before holding both items out to her. Though she was slightly confused she didn’t take the time to question him, taking the items from his hands and making a move toward the dorms, however, she only got in a few steps before she no longer felt the ground beneath her feet.

            “What are you doing?” Mal gasped in surprise when Jay lifted her into his arms, left arm hooked underneath her knees while his right hand curled around her ribcage.

            “You’re too weak to walk,” Jay stated, carrying her effortlessly. “And don’t even try to argue, you hot-head.”

            She narrowed her eyes, but hooked her arm around his shoulders in quiet agreement.

            As Jay made his way to the dorm buildings with her in his arms, Mal couldn’t get rid of the nagging feeling that everything was about to get worse. If Head had sent people to eliminate her, he had clearly grown impatient with her, but something about the attack tugged on her chest, telling her that it had only been a warning. _He wouldn’t want his agents to kill me,_ she thought, shaking her head; _no, he’d want to do it himself._ It was obvious that he hadn’t wanted her to know it was him, if he had wanted her to know he would have sent some of his younger recruits to deliver the message, the recruits that had spent their days insulting and trying to upstage her. He had hoped to make the first move anonymously, believing it would rally her into moving faster so that he could get his hands on the artifact sooner. Part of her wanted to see the look on his face when he realized the necklace’s power wouldn’t work for him, that same part of her that held tightly onto her pride, the pride that wanted to watch him realize he wasn’t some god trapped in a human body, wanted to watch him _break._

            But she had turned down her own path, set her own mission that definitely didn’t include handing Evie’s necklace over to Head, and though the necklace wasn’t an important aspect in her mission she wouldn’t just ignore it; it belonged to Evie, no one else. Her mission was to protect Evie, to fight for her, to ease her pain, to do everything for her even if it demanded her own life, but to also live a life surrounded by the people she cared for, by the people who cared for her. This was her mission because it was what she had been subconsciously searching for, what her heart beat for, it was what she had yearned for her entire life without even knowing it.

            And so she had made _her_ first move in response to Head’s, and she was ready for anything he had to throw at her because – for the first time in her life – she had something to fight for.

********

_It was all too familiar, eerily so. The constant hissing of the skin around her wrists, the heat from the metal breaking through the material of her jeans to burn her, and the low laugh that seemed to rumble the small, tightly encased room. The thick band that had marred her ribcage before hadn’t been placed on her this time, but she knew better than to find solace in that fact._

_“What happened, Mal? I figured after our last little chat you would be smarter than this.”_

_“Maybe I just put my intelligence to use on more important things,” she responded through a clenched jaw, trying her best to calm herself enough to keep the fury from taking over._

_There was a reason Head had chosen such a small room, and if she couldn’t keep her anger under control she’d find herself in a new world of pain after transitioning. However, that didn’t mean she wasn’t going to let the bastard know just how much of a mistake he was making by doing this to her for a second time._

_“You dare defy me again!” Head hissed angrily, curling his fingers around the metal whip in his hand._

_“You dare be surprised by it,” she shot back, well aware that her behavior wouldn’t get her anywhere._

_Her head was yanked backward within a second and the threat of iron rested centimeters from her throat, close enough that if she even swallowed it would tear through her flesh. She looked down the trail of her nose at the man who had ordered this to happen for a second time, solely because he couldn’t control her transitions himself. That was what he wanted, to hold complete unwavering control over her, to use her as a secret weapon against anyone else who dared to challenge his authority. It sickened her, and she swore that one day she would rid the world of power-hungry humans like him; she didn’t know how long it would take, but she didn’t care, she would eliminate anyone and everyone who claimed complete power over others._

_“I’d die happily rather than be your little pet,” she spat the words at him almost as if they were a venom that could take him down in a single second._

_That unsettling laugh shook the walls again as tyrannical eyes locked on her. “I will not let you slip through my fingers that easily, little girl. You_ will _bow to me, or I will_ make _you.”_

_This time, she didn’t give him the satisfaction of a response, instead keeping her mouth shut as she held his gaze with unwavering confidence. She knew she couldn’t win like this, but she could win the overall battle by never giving him what he craved. He would beat her again and again until she kneeled before him, but it would all be wasted energy because she would never even lower her head an inch for him. Someday, she would strike when he was least expecting it._

_But for now, she would stare directly at him, defying him once again by not breaking as he drew blood from her over and over, by not showing an ounce of pain, or fear, or submission. It would drive him insane. She could see that rage already overflowing as he circled around her and raised his hand above his head, she could_ feel _his desperation to control her as he threw every ounce of strength he possessed into his swing as he brought the iron-tipped whip down to meet her pale skin._

********

Despite her tranquility during the actual moment, Mal woke with the beginning of a scream tearing through her throat, the sound exiting through her cracked lips without any restraint as her body lurched into a sitting position. Tears freed themselves from the corners of her eyes as she curled into herself, her arms shaking uncontrollably as she wrapped them around her legs and pressed her forehead against her knee. She could feel the cold metal ripping through her skin as if she were back in that cramped room again, and she had to resist the urge to feel underneath her shirt for blood, afraid that if she did she would find what she was looking for. _It wasn’t real. It wasn’t real. It was just a dream._ But she couldn’t convince herself that she wasn’t locked in that horrid room, waiting for each relentless blow.

            It wasn’t until the mattress dipped beside her with a new weight and slim, heated arms wrapped around her, pulling her into a familiar body, that she was able to tear herself from the memory and return to the welcoming reality of the room she had fallen asleep in. Knowing who was beside her, Mal allowed herself to collapse into Evie’s arms, wrapping her own arm around the girl’s waist and digging her fingernails into her hipbone in a feeble attempt to keep her there.

            “I’m here, M,” Evie whispered into her hair, breath hot against her scalp. “I’m here.”

            Evie didn’t push to know what horrors had plagued her in her sleep, but Mal felt an irresistible tug toward telling the girl everything, a tug she had never truly felt before. She wanted to share everything with Evie, wanted to let the girl understand her, wanted to let the girl heal her, but a constriction in her chest warned her against doing so. However, she forced that fear from her body. She _would_ tell her, she _would_ confide in her, because Evie was always there for her, because she never pushed for anything other than trust.

            A hand brushing down her back spurred her into motion, pulling her from her current state and prompting her to pull away from the girl holding her, if only to pull her closer to her. Evie didn’t ask her what she was doing, or why she was doing it, and the hand the girl brought to caress the underside of her jaw solidified her strength.

            “After my mother left me in an alley at night I survived on the streets for five years on my own, but when I was twelve I was taken by a man in charge of an agency. He said he would take care of me, that I was special and that he could use my talents,” Mal paused, finding immense comfort in the gentle touch of graceful fingertips as she took a moment to breathe before she gave into the memories and lost the ability to continue. “I defied him, and every time I did he would drag me to a closed-off room and chain me.”

            She faltered again as Evie drew in a sharp breath at her revelation. Relishing in the security she felt with the girl, Mal turned on the mattress until she was facing away from her, reaching for the hem of her shirt and pulling it over her head to reveal the brutal skin of her back. The sound of Evie’s gasp floated through the room as she took a deep, steadying breath, ready to tell the rest of the story. But the quiet, broken sob she heard from behind her stopped her, the idea that the girl was this affected over something that had happened to her digging deep into her chest.

            “I don’t think I’ve ever told anyone this, but I’m part fairy. My mother was one but my father was human, I think,” Mal revealed to the girl behind her, not ready to turn back around and face her, not ready to turn back around and show her the marred skin covering her front as well. “He… the man who took me from the streets would chain me with iron to weaken me, to siphon my magic so I couldn’t defend myself, then he would whip me with an iron-tipped whip.”

            “How could he do that to you?” Evie questioned, her voice barely more than a whisper.

            Mal went to respond, but instead found her eyes fluttering closed at the feeling of fingers brushing delicately over the raised scars on her back. _It’s as good a time as any,_ Mal breathed out heavily as she shifted on the bed until she was facing the girl again, watching as watery red-brown eyes traveled down the length of the scar on her front, following it from the left side of her collarbone to just below her right breast. She watched as the girl’s eyes widened as she realized the horrid scar stretching across her back made an entire circle around her body. Horror, pain, fury, it all flashed through Evie’s uniquely colored eyes, and Mal wanted nothing more than to ease all of them despite having been the one to cause their appearance.

            “He wanted to make sure I couldn’t heal from it. He wanted me to carry the wounds with me forever,” Mal answered her question, lifting her hands to show the girl the scars circling her wrists like bracelets, the scars she had already found. “He hoped it would make me surrender to him completely, so that he could control me and use me.”

            When Evie reached forward, Mal expected her to take hold of her hands, but she found herself surprised and afraid as the girl’s fingers pressed into her collarbone instead. Eyelids covered green eyes as slender fingers traced over the trail of raised skin, and Mal swore the phantom pain disappeared as the girl’s touch ignited her skin in a more pleasurable way, taking her mind away from the memory that had plagued her since sleep had taken her.


	32. Chapter 32

**_(Mal)_ **

Mal had reached a point in her studying where the sound of her pencil scraping over the paper irritated her beyond belief, and she couldn’t remember why she had wanted to actually do the assignments. Groaning, she set her pencil down before she snapped it in half, leaning her elbows on the surface of the table and threading her fingers through her purple hair as she tried to relax enough to continue. _I can do this. It shouldn’t be this difficult._ Only, it was, and she couldn’t help but feel incompetent for being a seventeen-year old who could barely even write a single sentence without wanting to murder someone.

            It didn’t help that her mind kept wandering to the horrors that haunted her subconscious, the memories that bombarded her mind whenever she closed her eyes and allowed sleep to take over. She wouldn’t be surprised if someone told her she looked worse for wear despite being well on the way to recovery – at least, that’s what she was told – and it was solely because her nightmares kept getting worse. Ever since she had learned that Head was growing impatient she had been watching everything more closely, waiting for him to make his next move, determined to be well prepared for whatever disaster he brought with him. However, constantly expecting trouble was becoming consistently more difficult as she finally gave into the luring of the peaceful and welcoming life she now lived, her friends calming her and making her feel nothing but secure and protected. She knew that wasn’t her reality, though, she knew something would eventually come to shatter everything that had been built here, and she definitely wasn’t excited for it to happen. But still; she needed to be prepared because, whatever Head was planning, it wouldn’t be small.

            She let another sigh fall passed her lips as her eyelids fluttered to obscure her green eyes. _I need to learn how to concentrate._ The fact that the blue-haired princess who had crawled into her daily life never seemed to leave her mind didn’t help because, whenever she wasn’t worrying about her past life merging with the present, she was too caught up in confusing thoughts of the beautiful girl. She didn’t know what to think around the girl, let alone how to act, and she was still trying to figure out how one person could melt her straight into nonexistence as simply as Evie did.

            Needless to say, concentration was no longer a strong point for Mal.

            “Difficult problem?”

            The sound of the deep, smooth voice that belonged to the girl who had just been flashing through her mind startled Mal, and she snapped her head up so quickly that she tweaked her neck, and she found her hand reaching to the back of her neck to rub the victimized area as her green eyes locked on the unique red-brown of Evie’s. She couldn’t see herself, but she knew she looked terrified and flushed, the idea of the girl appearing when she had been all but daydreaming about her not sitting well with her, especially given the fact that the girl could often read everything going through her head.

            “You could say that,” Mal replied, fingers still digging gently into the muscle she had abused.

            Evie studied her for a moment, red-brown eyes flickering over her in a way that made Mal feel as though she were completely exposed – and yet it was in a way that gave her comfort. Again, another thing she failed to understand.

            “Anything I could possibly help with?” Evie asked as she set her bag on the end of her bed.

            _I’m sure you could help with any problem on this damned worksheet._ Mal loosed a breath. “More than likely, but you don’t…”

            Evie shushed her as she moved toward the table, grabbing hold of the unoccupied chair and pulling it closer to Mal’s – too close, almost. Mal forced herself to breathe evenly as the warmth of the girl’s body radiated onto her side, not wanting to be questioned about any unnatural behavior. She still wasn’t entirely sure how this type of thing worked, but she was sure the way her body always acted around Evie wasn’t the usual response for friends.

            It was only then – only after the girl had gotten close – that Mal realized she hadn’t felt the warning the magical connection gave of Evie’s approach, the warmth that always spread through her when she was within twenty-feet of the girl completely dormant as she entered. It was why the girl had been able to startle her. She pushed the thought aside, figuring she had just been too caught up in her own mind to notice any shift in energy.

            Mal watched as Evie gracefully plucked the abandoned pencil from the table and pressed the tip against the paper, her heart fluttering when the girl cast a glance over her shoulder.

            “Are you paying attention?” Evie questioned, lips curved into a smile that made it difficult for Mal to focus on anything else.

            Mal nodded, not knowing if her voice would work. And she tried – to the best of her ability – to pay attention, but the warmth of the girl as her arm brushed lightly against Mal’s chest and the way blue hair perfectly framed a remarkable jawline, it was all too distracting; the girl was too distracting. It drove Mal insane.

            It had all started after the first time she had allowed herself to accept the comfort of Evie’s arms, the day the girl had discovered the scars circling her wrists and she had attempted to shut her out by locking herself in the bathroom. Something had shifted between them, shifted _inside_ Mal, and it had failed to dissipate over the two weeks it had been since that morning. The tug she had always felt toward Evie due to the connection was now a constant lure, her mind and body craving constant unbreakable contact with the girl, craving everything to do with her. Where she had been wary and adroit, she was now content and inept; where she had been frustrated and aggressive, she was now euphoric and passive. And she wouldn’t think anything of it had the shift occurred between everyone she had grown close to, but it hadn’t; only with Evie, it was always only with Evie. She could call it friendship, but something about that word didn’t exactly feel right when thinking about the elegant and beautiful princess beside her, and yet she had nothing else to title it; she was left hopelessly uncertain of everything she felt when it came to Evie.

            “Did you get that?” Evie asked, glancing back over her shoulder with an arched eyebrow.

            Frantically, Mal nodded, though something inside her told her that Evie already knew she definitely hadn’t heard a single word she had said. With the heat settling beneath her skin she wondered how red she had turned, and she only felt Evie’s giggle to be confirmation that she appeared as ashamed and embarrassed as she felt.

            She cleared her throat, knowing she couldn’t lie to Evie, not when the girl always seemed to know the truth. “I’m sorry. I spaced out.”

            “Is math really _that_ boring to you?” Evie questioned with another entrancing giggle, shifting back in her seat so that her arm pressed against Mal’s. “Or am _I_ that boring?”

            “No!” Mal panicked, the solo word ripping from her lips a little too quickly. “I just… I haven’t really gone to school before. I don’t…” she trailed off for a moment, not wanting the girl to know how truly incompetent she was. “I don’t even know how to do the simplest equations.”

            “That’s not an issue,” Evie smiled at her brightly, and she nearly choked on her own spit in surprise, having not expected the girl to brush the new information off her shoulders as if it were completely normal. “Here, let me show you everything.”

            “Is it a lot?” Mal questioned, swallowing the thick lump that had formed in her throat.

            Evie laughed, tilting her head back with the action. “It’s almost too much.”

            “Oh,” Mal breathed out, not sure what else to say.

            Not knowing what else to do – and not being able to tear her gaze from the mesmerizing girl beside her – Mal watched as Evie leaned over the table and slid a pile of unused papers closer to her, grabbing the one on top and placing it over the assignment in front of them. She studied the way long eyelashes curled; she studied the way tan skin moved over a strong jaw whenever the muscle underneath shifted; she studied the way glossed lips formed the sound of different numbers as an elegant hand printed them onto the smooth surface of the paper. But the numbers weren’t her concern, and she didn’t glance down once to see if she could recognize any of them, instead watching as slender fingers reached upward to tuck the hair that had broken free from its restraints to fall over a flawless face back behind a small ear. _What is happening to me?_ She asked herself, forcing herself to look away from the gorgeous girl and toward the door as she shut her eyes in attempt to ignore every foreign feeling living deep in her veins.

            “Okay, if you take these two numbers and add them together, what do you get?”

            Green eyes slid over the paper before her, focusing on the two numbers Evie had elegantly crafted with looped lines. _Even her writing is beautiful,_ Mal groaned internally, starting to wonder if she was even awake, or if everything she had lived through in Auradon was merely a dream. She forced herself to focus, taking in the numbers on the page and working her mind to figure out the answer.

            “Eight?” Mal guessed, starting to worry that she didn’t understand the question asked.

            “See, you’re better than you thought,” Evie announced, her radiant smile reaching her eyes.

            “I am?” Mal asked, arching her eyebrow at the girl, not entirely sure she believed her.

            Evie nodded, shifting back in her chair as she turned to look at Mal over her shoulder once again, the two movements together proving to be a strain on Mal’s heart when she felt heated breath dancing over her lips. She didn’t know if the world had stopped, but everything that wasn’t Evie seemed to blur into nothing until she was left to helplessly drown in the unique coloring of the eyes that seemed to push a missing part of her soul into her body; and she found herself wondering if this feeling was what Carlos had been hinting at weeks ago when discussing relationships. And maybe – she wondered as she strangely found herself wanting to know what it would feel like to lean further forward – it wasn’t as nauseating as she had thought while observing those other people. Maybe it was an exhilarating way to excuse forgetting everything including your own name.

 

**_(Evie)_ **

Desire and reason tore brutally at Evie’s mind in an endless war, each trying to force her further in one direction; but she couldn’t decide which was more convincing. Well, that was a lie. The desire pulsing through her was definitely more convincing, and she wanted nothing more than to tear down those last few inches and figure out what Mal’s lips tasted like. However, reason stamped its foot down in front of her, reminding her that a romantic relationship might not be what the other girl wanted right now, not with everything she’s been going through. _Think quickly, Evie._ She wondered if she should let Mal make the decision, but a voice in the back of her mind shouted at her to just severe the intimacy between them before anything could happen. The only issue was that she _really_ didn’t want to listen to logic in this moment, she wanted to be reckless, for once she wanted to throw herself off the cliff and worry later whether there was a net at the bottom to catch her, or if it was just a rocky abyss.

            She was hopelessly torn between two paths, and for what felt like the first time in her life she didn’t know the correct answer to the problem presented in front of her.

            Evie wanted to show Mal just how beautiful and intelligent she was, that it wasn’t only about being able to solve mathematical problems and knowing how to properly mix chemicals; she wanted to prove to the girl that intelligence ran so much deeper than the things learned in school. Logic told her that all of it could be accomplished without pressuring the girl by making her desires known, but she still couldn’t bring herself to turn away because her heart told her that there was nothing more right than this, than _them._ There had been a moment in her life where she had believed she would never find her own fairytale ending, that she would never find true love, or a handsome prince that would treat her like a queen, but only the last piece held true. She didn’t care what anyone said, she _had_ found true love; she had it right in front of her. It wasn’t picture perfect like every storybook promised it would be, it wasn’t supposed to be, the only thing that mattered was that it was perfect to her. The fairytales depicted in the stories didn’t exist, details were left out. Love wasn’t an everlasting happiness, it wasn’t a perfectly smooth track, it wasn’t made of smiles that never failed and delights that never faded. It was so much more than that. Love was a beautiful mix of good and bad; it was the shared smiles and the mixed tears, the romantic moments and the painful fights, it was the undeniable desire to fight through anything and everything to collide with each other. No two people fit together perfectly in every aspect, compromises were made for their lives to mold together in an imperfect beauty.

            And if there was one thing in her life she was absolutely sure of it was that she was in love with Mal. She felt the complete rush of the joy and the intimacy; she felt the pain of the fighting and the barriers; she felt the beauty of the vulnerable moments; she felt the fear of the trying moments. She felt it all with Mal, every caress and every sting of life, but through it all she never once wondered if it wasn’t worth the struggle because she knew that she would do anything to be with Mal, and she knew – she could _feel_ – that Mal would do the same.

            But it wasn’t her decision to make. It wasn’t up to her to decide when Mal was ready to submerge herself in the electricity that encased them.

            That’s why she forced herself to increase the distance between them, why she shifted forward in her chair and pulled her gaze from the fierce green eyes that always penetrated further than any blade could. That’s why she cleared her throat quietly and pressed the tip of the pencil into the paper directly below the first problem she had written, quickly shaping another.

            “And this?” Evie’s voice was substantially quieter than it had been before as she forced those two words passed her lips.

            She could feel the heat of Mal’s stare on the side of her face, and she focused on tracing the curves of her writing over and over, well aware that if she were to allow herself to get lost in the girl’s eyes another time she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from making that next step. But the gaze never left, and Mal never gave her an answer, so she chanced an innocent glance over her shoulder to find the green eyes she adored glowing with a bright gleam she had never seen inside them, and her heart fluttered with the knowledge that she had been the one to place that look of pure joy and content in the girl’s eyes. _Was it the right move to pull away?_ Now she was doubting herself.

            “It doesn’t seem fair,” Mal spoke softly; and when she wasn’t speaking her lips remained the slightest bit parted, tempting her.

            Evie sighed; _you’re really trying to make this difficult, aren’t you?_ “What?”

            “The fact that you’re always doing things for me, but I’ve nothing to offer you,” Mal answered, and Evie tried her best to not overanalyze the amount of affection lacing the girl’s voice.

            Really, she did.

            “Well, you don’t…”

            “I could teach you how to channel and control your magic.”

            _Why would she…? Oh, right,_ Evie remembered; _I have magic I never knew about until recently._ She still couldn’t get the image of her hand surrounded by bright blue electricity out of her head, and she wasn’t entirely sure she even believed she had magic – _really it could just be the necklace_ – but she stopped herself before she could deny the offer, a smile curving her lips at the idea of spending even more time alone with the girl.

            “I’d like that,” Evie replied, the smile still gracing her features.

            At that, Mal’s smile brightened, and Evie could feel herself internally melting at the sight. However, when something came to mind her smile quickly fell into a smirk as she turned back toward the papers scattering the table, gently flipping her hair over her shoulder as she let the teasing words slip passed her lips.

            “Though I’m sure you’ll find that I’m _much better_ at paying attention to my teachers.”


	33. Chapter 33

**_(Evie)_ **

The sound of Mal’s laugh had the corners of Evie’s mouth stretching upward and her lips parting to show her radiant teeth, the melody more beautiful than any song she had ever heard – at least in her opinion. It was a sound she hadn’t gotten to hear too many times, one she wanted to listen to for the rest of her life, and one she had been hearing all week. Honestly, she hadn’t known she was so amusing.

            _I could get used to this._

            With the first week of school after winter vacation at its end, Evie was looking forward to hearing that laugh for the entire weekend, especially considering her plans would have her cooped up in her room with the girl both days; funnily enough, it hadn’t been her idea either, it had been Mal’s. Mal wanted to teach her more about magic, and they couldn’t exactly do that out in the open with others watching, so it had been decided that they would remain in their room, keeping everyone out unless they felt it safe to let them in. The entire idea had Evie’s chest constricting as her heart seemed to grow with every beat against her ribcage, and she wasn’t completely sure if it was due to excitement that she would be alone with the girl she had grown to adore more than anyone else, or if it was the result of the nerves she felt because she’d be trying to perform magic. She figured it was a little of both.

            As she turned the corner that would bring them to her locker she shifted her heavy textbooks to one arm, readying herself to put in the combination that would unlock the door. Coming to a stop, she checked that the textbooks were balanced in her left arm before lifting her right up for her fingertips to grasp the knob.

            “Here,” Mal spoke softly as she reached out to take the textbooks from Evie’s grasp.

            “Oh, that’s really not…”

            But Mal shushed her, and Evie decided it felt strange being on this side of it. Still, as she paused to watch Mal lean her shoulder against the lockers next to her, the textbooks held to her chest, she knew that she could definitely get used to the girl being by her side.

            “So…” Mal rolled her bottom lip around inside her mouth, clearly wondering if she should continue. “What was it like where you grew up?”

            “On the Isle of the Lost?” Evie asked for clarification as she popped open her locker. “It was… different. Not then, of course, because it was all I knew, but it wasn’t anything like it is here in Auradon,” she brought her gaze to lock with light-green eyes, finding the curiosity inside of them. She turned her body to face the shorter girl, gripping the edge of her locker with one hand as she continued. “We lived off Auradon’s leftovers. Food, clothes, make-up, books. Everything on the Isle is the stuff deemed unfit for Auradon. It’s difficult to remain healthy and nourished when living off rotten and stale food, so it was definitely a shock to see the amount of fresh food here when we first arrived, but it was all we knew. None of us really thought there was anything wrong with the way we lived, and some even enjoyed it, but now that I’ve lived here for a year I just…” Evie trailed off, unsure if she should admit her true thoughts and feelings right now, the fact that Auradon kids were close enough to easily overhear making her question if it was the right time. She decided she didn’t care. “It all makes me wonder who the real villains are, you know. The _heroes_ live here in complete luxury, not even batting an eyelash as kids starve on the Isle, and they act as though it’s utterly ridiculous that us _villains_ want to see their glory come to an end. I mean, is it really so hard to believe that we could despise the people that have kept us locked up our whole lives, starving and fighting, all because of what our parents did?”

            When Evie brought her gaze back to Mal’s she found nothing but understanding and anger swirling around the girl’s eyes, and the fact that the girl always knew and accepted how she felt only further solidified how she felt for her. She had never felt this comfortable with anyone; not with her mother, not even with Carlos or Jay. It made her feel as though she had found a missing piece of her soul, and it didn’t matter whether their relationship was meant to be romantic or platonic, she knew they had been meant to find each other.

            “Do you sometimes wish you still lived on the Isle?” Mal questioned, handing Evie the textbooks she held when requested.

            Evie blew out a light breath. “Yes, I do. I know it wasn’t really _living_ , that it was more like surviving, but sometimes I find myself wondering if it’s better even with all of its flaws. But I also know that I’d miss Auradon if I left, and I really don’t want to live with my mom again.”

            The idea of having to live with her mother again haunted her whenever she found herself wishing she could go back to the Isle, and she closed her eyes and breathed evenly in order to push the thought away. However, when she felt warm fingertips brushing against her skin as they tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear she found the entire vision dissipating as if she had never created it, and she lifted her head for red-brown to meet a startling bright-green.

            “You’re eighteen, aren’t you?” Mal asked, her voice quiet and her touch gentle.

            Evie nodded, finding that she was leaning subconsciously into the girl’s warmth, finding the heat almost unnatural but more comforting than anything else. Her breathing slowed and evened out when Mal brought her palm to caress her cheek, seeming to understand what she wanted.

            “Then you don’t have to live with your mother, even if you do decide to move back to the Isle,” Mal stated, dragging her fingers down Evie’s jaw and tapping the underside of her chin, scrunching her nose adorably as she did so. “Just because you’re still in school doesn’t mean you’re not an adult. No one can tell you what you can and cannot do.”

            “So since you’re still seventeen, does that mean _I_ can tell _you_ what to do?” Evie asked playfully, the right corner of her mouth curving upward into a smirk as she stepped closer to the shorter girl, leaning her own shoulder against the lockers.

            An amused glint flashed through green eyes, and Evie found herself watching the largest smile she had ever seen gracing Mal’s features form, her stomach flipping around ecstatically at the sight. However, she never got to hear the girl’s response because the second those mesmerizing plump lips parted a less pleasant voice sounded from behind her.

            “Hey, Evie, can we talk?”

            Evie didn’t even have to turn around to look at Doug to figure out that he wasn’t in good spirits, and she already found hers lowering because she knew the boy was most likely upset about her being with Mal. As she straightened she watched the way the glint in Mal’s eyes immediately disappeared, and she wished she could bring the spark back, but she knew it would be impossible with Doug around, the boy having never been timid of letting everyone know how he felt about the purple-haired girl.

            “I meant without her,” Doug announced, his blue eyes only briefly flickering to where Mal now stood behind Evie.

            Evie’s eyebrow lifted, her features settling into an expression that let the boy know she wasn’t the slightest bit amused. “Whatever you have to say to me can be said in front of her.”

            “No, that’s fine,” Mal cleared her throat, pushing off the lockers. “I’ll leave.”

            “Mal, you…”

            “I’ll see you back at the dorm,” Mal interrupted her before she could really even begin, offering her a small smile that didn’t come close to reaching her eyes.

            Though she wanted to argue further, Evie respected the girl’s decision to put distance between herself and Doug, so she returned the smile, reaching out to brush her fingers over Mal’s briefly before letting her go. _You don’t deserve to be treated this way,_ Evie thought, prepared to let the other girl know later; _no one does._ When she focused on Doug again she found him already opening his mouth to say something, but she wasn’t ready to let him off that easily.

            “What is wrong with you?” Evie questioned angrily, her features hardening.

            But he didn’t seem to want to discuss anything other than what he had on his mind, and so he answered with his own question.

            “Did you break up with me because you like girls?”

            The question shocked Evie, and she found herself forgetting about everything that had just happened as it echoed in her mind multiple times. She couldn’t believe it. This _is what he wanted to talk about?_

            “I broke up with you because I didn’t have feelings for you, Doug,” Evie replied, well aware that it wasn’t a lie. She felt she would have ended things with Doug even if she hadn’t realized around that same time that she was interested only in girls.

            “Then what was all that about?” Doug questioned, waving his hand around the area behind her; around the area Mal had been. “The way you were acting with her wasn’t normal.”

            Evie scoffed, resisting the urge to roll her eyes as she reached into her locker to grab the textbooks she would need over the weekend, shoving the ones she could fit into her bag. Closing the locker door, she turned back to the boy. “And what exactly _is_ normal? Girls tripping over themselves to bow at the feet of boys?”

            “No… that’s _not_ what I’m saying,” Doug shook his head, obviously astounded by her question. “I’m just saying that…”

            “That it’s not normal for girls to find love in each other?” Evie raised the last word in a question despite it being more of a statement. “It’s a well-known fact that girls like boys, and boys like girls, isn’t it?”

            Doug huffed furiously. “Do you like girls, or not?”

            “Yes, as a matter of fact I do,” Evie answered, wrapping both her arms around the textbook she still held as she pressed it into her chest, moving to walk passed the boy. “And I don’t care what’s considered normal. That’s not who I am, so I’m not going to live by it and pretend I’m someone I’m not.”

            “Would you just listen to me?”

            Before she could get even three steps away from him a hand gripped her elbow, pulling her back around to face the owner. Her eyebrows furrowed and she yanked her arm from his grip, but she kept her words to herself, allowing him the time to speak.

            “I don’t care that you like girls, Evie, I only care that you like the wrong one,” Doug explained in exasperation, his blue eyes pleading with her.

            “Excuse me?” Evie spoke with a deadly calm, her voice quiet.

            “You’re… you go around acting as though Mal is the greatest person to ever exist when she’s so far from. She’s worse than the villains in the stories. She’s worse than your _mom_ , Evie,” Doug stressed, his eyes glowing with hatred and worry. “There’s something wrong with her, Evie, why can’t you see that? She’s dangerous, and you’re too fixated on her good looks to see that. You’re so caught up in her that you’re becoming blind to the truth. Evie, you’re lost because of her.”

            “Then I love being lost!” Evie shouted, not caring that the people around them were now watching their argument as if it were part of a TV show.

            Those last five words had taken hold of the last strand of her patience and snapped it clean in half. _You’re lost because of her._ She couldn’t believe anyone would ever dare say something like that to her.

            “Do you want to know why I fell for her? Do you want to know why she makes me feel as strongly as I do? Because she _understands._ There’s almost something cruel about just how much she understands me. She _feels_ everything. She embraces both the good _and_ the bad, something everyone here has yet to figure out,” Evie’s voice shook with anger as she spoke, with frustration, her eyes beginning to water. She hated that Doug was acting like this, like he knew exactly what she was thinking and could make decisions for her based off what he believed. She hated that _everyone_ acted like this. “I love her because she doesn’t try to control me. I love her because she understands. I love her because she _accepts_ me for who I am. I love her because she understands what it’s like to go through the shit I went through, and she _still_ accepts me. So, Doug, if you’re right, and I _am_ lost, then stop trying to rescue me because I don’t want anyone to find me.”

            With that, Evie turned around and walked away from Doug, completely ignoring every pair of eyes that followed after her. Her blood boiled in her veins and the necklace pulsed against her sternum, the fury traveling through her creating faint blue sparks that crackled from the crowned heart.

 

**_(Mal)_ **

“You know you have to actually _try_ , right?”

            “I _am_ trying. I just… don’t know how to pronounce it?”

            A wave of pure joy and amusement erupted from deep within Mal as her head tilted back with her laughter, the girl’s argument just about the worst excuse she had ever heard. The idea that Evie didn’t know how to pronounce something amused Mal by itself, but the fact that the girl had raised the end in a question seemed to make it that much better because it only made it seem as though the blue-haired princess wasn’t truthfully putting effort into anything she was doing.

            “Maybe you should think of some better excuses first,” Mal suggested, shifting so that she was sitting on her leg.

            “If I did that I wouldn’t get to hear that beautiful laugh of yours as often,” Evie replied smoothly, red-brown eyes bright with undeniable adoration as she leaned the slightest bit forward, closer to Mal.

            Heat reached up Mal’s neck, lashing at her cheeks as she averted her gaze to the blue sheets underneath her. _Beautiful?_ It was a word she would often use to describe Evie – though it didn’t seem to do the girl justice – but she would have never considered that someone else might use it to describe _her,_ or anything about her.

            It had taken her a few days to untangle the mess of emotions she had felt Monday evening when her and Evie had accidentally gotten too close, breathing almost as one, but she had finally settled into the feelings Evie coaxed from her and even realized the pleasure she found in them. After that, she had realized that she felt something stronger for the princess, she had accepted that she craved something more than friendship with the girl despite not entirely knowing what that was. And now the things she did, the things she said, weren’t completely in her control. She would speak her mind without even thinking about it, telling the girl how unbelievably gorgeous she was, how amazing she was; she would reach out to touch her before her brain even processed the movement, brushing the girl’s slender fingers and caressing blue hair. She didn’t know what was happening to her, but she found she wouldn’t want it any other way because she loved the way Evie made her feel, inside and out.

            However, one thing she could never figure out was how to respond to the things Evie said to her, the compliments and the playful teasing. It was like both completely powered down her brain and body. And so she manipulated the blue sheets with her fingers as she cleared her throat, laughing lightly.

            “I _know_ you know how to pronounce every word in this spell,” Mal stated, her voice quieter than it had been before as she lifted her gaze to meet Evie’s again. “You just don’t believe in yourself.”

            “You’re right, I’m sorry,” Evie nodded, holding her hand out in front of her. “I’ll do better, I promise.”

            But she didn’t, and Mal couldn’t help but laugh when the girl purposefully mispronounced the spell again, a single red-brown eye cracking open the slightest bit to note her reaction before both appeared entirely along with a radiant smile.

            Mal smiled at the girl, shaking her head. “You’re annoying.”

            “So are you,” Evie replied, the corners of her mouth twitching in desperation to reach higher.

            Mal couldn’t believe how much had changed since the last time she had said those words to Evie, and she knew that they meant something completely different now than they had then. Before, she had actually meant them.

            “That’s your favorite shirt, right?” Mal asked, gaze dropping to an area of the girl’s body it probably shouldn’t. However, the bright-red of the glass jewel stole her attention through the way it contrasted with the dark-blue of the shirt, and it almost felt like the necklace was staring back at her.

            “Yes,” Evie’s gaze dropped to her shirt as well, her fingers brushing lightly over the delicate fabric.

            The proud smile gracing Evie’s features almost made Mal feel guilty about what she was about to do, but she ignored that feeling, knowing she could easily set everything right if the plan didn’t work. Flattening her palms against the mattress she moved closer to the beautiful princess, well aware that Evie was now watching her closely.

            “May I?” Mal lifted her arms until her hands extended toward the girl’s shoulders, making her intention perfectly clear.

            “You know, if you wanted to touch me you could have just said so,” Evie replied, a teasing smile curving her lips as she pushed her hair over her shoulders. “You don’t have to pretend you’re helping me with my magic.”

            Choosing to ignore the girl, Mal gently grabbed hold of Evie’s shoulders while keeping her eyes focused on red-brown, hoping that it would distract the girl and keep her from looking at her shirt. Fortunately, it seemed to work. Unfortunately, Mal found herself forgetting what she had been doing because of the way Evie looked at her. _Okay, bad plan. Maybe I shouldn’t have tried distracting her with a staring contest._ With a deep breath she forced herself to focus on the task she had set herself, and by the next time she blinked the color of the fabric beneath her fingers had turned to orange, the one color she knew Evie didn’t like.

            “It’s a really nice shirt,” Mal announced, letting her hands slip from the girl’s shoulders and into her own lap. She was doing her best to hide the smile that would give it away.

            “You did something to it, didn’t you?” Evie released a heavy sigh, not even glancing down at herself.

            Mal snorted with laughter, crying out in surprise when the shove Evie gave her nearly resulted with her on the floor. “You’re too smart for me.”

            Finally, Evie dared a glance at her shirt. Mal lost every ounce of control she had held over herself with the cry of horror that sounded through the room, and it only got worse when Evie closed her fingers around the front of Mal’s shirt and tugged her until their noses nearly bumped together.

            “ _Fix it!_ ” Evie demanded in a low voice, one that almost scared Mal as much as it amused her. “I’m _not_ kidding, Mal! You know I hate orange!”

            Mal nodded, still snorting with how hard she was laughing. “That’s why I did it.”

            “This is the worst thing you’ve ever done to me,” Evie huffed, letting go of her and narrowing her eyes.

            “Oh, I’m not so sure about that,” Mal replied, perfectly aware that she hadn’t exactly treated the girl well when they first met. It sickened her to think about.

            Evie dropped the glare, instead shifting her features to fit with the way she stuck her lower lip out in a pout, clearly hoping to trick Mal into changing the color back by being adorable. _Not going to…_ Mal’s thoughts stopped; _okay,_ maybe _it’ll work._ No one could blame her if she caved, no one sane at least. The expression Evie was giving her pulled in opposite directions on every centimeter of her heart, and she didn’t feel she should be held accountable for the things she would more than likely do for the girl in the future when faced with this look.

            “No,” Mal shook her head, making herself believe the word. “You’ve got to do it yourself.”

            Evie only pouted more. “Please, M.”

            _Oh my fucking… she knows exactly how to get what she wants._ But Mal held strong, even though it meant she had to look away. “I would really appreciate it if you would stop that.”

            “Stop what?” Evie asked innocently, but the rasp in her voice told Mal that she was now smirking.

            “Being so abnormally beautiful,” Mal answered before she thought about what she was saying; again, she had little control over herself when it came to Evie. She had, however, meant to only think that answer, and now she had to bring her gaze further away as Evie’s stare pierced through her heated skin.

            When she felt the girl leaning closer to her she stopped breathing, holding her breath as she felt hands sliding over her knees. She wanted to lean into the girl, but she fought everything inside her and leaned away instead, bracing her hands behind her so she didn’t slip off the edge of the bed, her eyelids falling to cover her eyes when the girl’s breath coated her ear.

            “I’m _abnormally_ beautiful, huh?” Evie questioned in a low purr, and Mal decided she was about to have a heart attack. “I don’t know about you, but _I_ would do just about anything for an _abnormally_ beautiful girl. Don’t you agree?”

            “Mmhm,” Mal hummed, forcing herself to inhale.

            “Then will you please change my shirt back?”

            Disappointed with herself for having not seen that coming, Mal brought her hands up to the fronts of Evie’s shoulders and shoved the girl away from her, a scowl reshaping her features as a raspy laugh sounded through the room. _This isn’t amusing, Princess._

            “Stop messing around and fix your own shirt,” Mal grumbled, trying her best not to laugh along with the girl. _Okay, so maybe it’s_ kind of _funny._ But overall, she was flustered.

            Evie stuck her lower lip out in another pout. “You’re no fun.”

            “I’m not paid to entertain you, E,” Mal hissed, green eyes still narrowed at the girl.

            “Oh? What _are_ you paid to do?” Evie questioned, arching her eyebrow in a way that made Mal wish she could wipe every ounce of playfulness from the girl.

            “Punch you in the throat,” Mal answered, well aware that it wasn’t far from the truth if considering the mission that had landed her in Auradon; it wasn’t that different from killing someone.

            “Okay, okay, calm down, grumpy,” Evie reached forward to tap the tip of Mal’s nose, which caused her to scrunch it. “No need to get violent.”

            “There’s _always_ a need to get violent,” Mal retorted dishonestly.

            Evie watched her with curiosity and amusement, a smirk playing on her lips, and Mal wondered if the girl was completely sane given the fact that she had only ever seemed intrigued by her violent nature. _Maybe she has a death wish._ It fascinated her that Evie only ever seemed spurred on when she threatened or insulted her, and seeing the look dancing around her red-brown eyes right now only confirmed her first suspicions of the girl. _There’s definitely something wrong with her._ However, Mal loved every bit of Evie’s insanity.

            Once Evie finally diverted her attention Mal tried to get her breathing under control from the girl’s earlier close proximity, still irritated that she had leaped directly into Evie’s trap. _I’m literally trained to avoid traps._ She pushed the thought aside as Evie closed her eyes, watching the girl as she closed her fingers around the material of her shirt in attempt to change the color back to its original mix of dark-blue and white. A spark shot from the girl’s necklace and Mal found herself its victim as it landed on her arm, shocking her lightly. _That necklace has it out for me._ It felt ridiculous to accuse an inanimate object, but she knew better than to think it was an ordinary piece of jewelry.

            “I did it!” Evie exclaimed, drawing her attention from the blinking red light from the crowned heart.

            She had been too focused on the necklace to realize the color surrounding it had switched back to the contrasting dark-blue, the edges of the sleeves fading back into a perfect white. Worried that the girl would think she had been staring at her chest, Mal quickly brought her gaze up to meet Evie’s ecstatic one, finding that a smile tugged at her mouth due to how delighted the girl appeared.

            “Noted; violence works on you,” was all Mal said.

            “Shut up,” Evie playfully furrowed her eyebrows and shoved Mal lightly.

            “Okay,” Mal shrugged, gaze falling back to the necklace despite how much she tried to ignore its rapid blinking.

            “I didn’t mean that and you know it,” Evie shook her head, smiling brightly.

            However, Mal could tell that Evie’s smile faded when she followed her gaze to the flashing necklace because she reached up to close the crowned heart in her hand, and when Mal glanced up to find that a worried and saddened expression had taken over the previous joyous one she understood why the girl had covered the unusual jewel. She would do anything to put the girl’s radiant smile back where it belonged.

            “I don’t think your necklace likes me very much,” Mal spoke hesitantly, hoping it wouldn’t make the girl feel worse.

            Uniquely colored eyes lifted to meet her seemingly basic color, and the first thing she saw was surprise. _She’s surprised that I know the necklace is unusual. How have others made her feel about this topic?_ It pained her to know that Evie believed herself insane for thinking her necklace was anything other than carved glass.

            “You think so?” Evie questioned, slowly pulling her hand away and revealing the obnoxious glow of the red jewel.

            “I know so,” Mal confirmed with a nod, her gaze flickering back to the necklace. “Don’t you remember when it knocked me on my ass for weeks?”

            Evie let out a light laugh at that. “Not really. I barely remember any of what happened after Ben left. After that, the first thing I remember is you collapsing.”

            “I don’t remember anything after _that_.”

            For some reason, Mal couldn’t stop herself from reaching forward and slipping her hand underneath blue hair to press her finger into the chain resting against the side of the girl’s neck. It was a terrible idea, she was well aware of that, but nothing seemed to be capable of stopping her as she trailed her finger down the part of the chain that rested against the tan skin stretching over a prominent collarbone.

            “I caught you. I held you in my arms and called out for help,” Evie’s voice was barely more than a whisper, and Mal realized just how close they were because of the fact that she could hear every word with perfect clarity. “I was worried that you were dead. I had no idea how it happened and I could tell that you were breathing, but I couldn’t stop myself from worrying that you were dead.”

            The evident pain lacing every word the girl spoke cracked something inside of Mal, and – somehow knowing it wouldn’t end the same way – she slid her hand down the rest of the chain to grip the glass heart in her fingertips. Powerful electricity traveled up her arm and quickly coated her entire body, but she focused on the eyes that held everything she loved the most about the girl, anchoring herself to reality.

            “If you really think you can get rid of me that easily, Princess, you’re going to be extremely disappointed,” Mal whispered affectionately, her knuckles lightly grazing the girl’s chest through the material of her shirt. “It’s going to take a lot more than anything this world could sustain to keep me away from you.”

            There were words itching at the back of her throat, words she didn’t even know or understand, but she couldn’t rid herself of the urge to express them because of the way Evie looked at her as if she had been craving her for her entire life. No one had ever looked at Mal in a way that didn’t scream disgust or disappointment until she had arrived in Auradon, and even though some people still viewed her through those emotions she no longer cared about what any of them believed because of those that looked at her as though she were wanted. And while she valued each person who didn’t see her as a disappointment or a threat, it was the way Evie viewed her that she knew she couldn’t live without anymore, it was the way Evie treasured her that she knew she could never let go. There was something different about her, there always had been even though she had tried to ignore it at first.

            When she felt fingers curling around her wrist she wondered if she had been staring for too long, and before she became hopelessly lost in the girl in front of her she forced herself to bring her gaze to the window, only to find nothing but black covering the forest outside. Dropping her hand from the necklace she glanced at the clock, her heart leaping into her throat when she read the time. _3:17AM._

            Clearing her throat, Mal fidgeted in her spot briefly. “It’s uh… it’s late, I should probably…”

            However, the very second she placed her feet on the ground beside the bed a hand grabbed hold of hers, keeping her from moving any further away. She turned back around to face the girl, finding nothing but love and desire swirling through red-brown eyes.

            “Stay with me,” Evie breathed out, her honey-laced voice nothing but inviting and sincere as she laced their fingers together and gently tugged on Mal’s hand.

            Without even thinking about what might possibly happen because of it, Mal crawled back onto the other girl’s bed, leaning back into the pillows as their fingers slipped from each other’s grips. She watched, her stomach flipping relentlessly, as Evie lifted her left arm around her shoulders and rested her head on her chest just beneath her chin, snuggling into her side. Mal subconsciously dug her fingertips into the girl’s shoulder where her hand now rested, afraid of letting go.

            Her body basked in the warmth Evie’s body provided, in the comfort and security that came with holding the girl, and she allowed herself to be completely consumed by the blue-haired princess, not caring what consequences there would be from letting herself depend on someone again. _Needing people doesn’t make you weak, Mal._ Evie’s words from the first time she had admitted to needing the girl passed through her mind, the memory tugging on her heart. _You are not weak just because you need someone to help you escape the demons that haunt your mind. You are strong for recognizing that need and not distancing yourself from them._ For the first time, Mal believed those words with every broken piece of her heart, and it was only now – with Evie curled into her side, her head on her chest and her slender fingers reaching for her pale ones – that she realized those fragments had been sewn back together. Not only by Evie, but by Carlos, by Ben, and by Jay. It was simply fate that Evie had mended the largest part.


	34. Chapter 34

**_(Evie)_ **

When her eyelids fluttered with the lure of waking, Evie buried her face further into the radiating warmth beneath her in attempt to ignore the sudden tug, her lips curving into a relieved smile when she grew alert enough to realize exactly what she had snuggled herself into – well, more accurately, _who_ she had snuggled herself into. _She stayed._ The second time her mind urged her to open her eyes she listened, closing her fingers around the material her hand rested on as she slid her head back enough to look at the girl’s face, finding that something seemed different about the way she was currently sleeping. _She looks so peaceful,_ Evie thought, her smile only growing when she realized just how truly calm the girl appeared; it was an unusual sight, but definitely not an unwelcome one.

            Ever since Mal had first broken down the girl hadn’t seemed to go a single night without something haunting her dreams, and it had torn at Evie’s heart every time she had been woken in the middle of the night by a scream or a shout. All she had wanted to do was pull the vulnerable girl into her arms and comfort her, but it had taken her a while to decide it wouldn’t only make things worse, the girl having been reluctant at first to accept her offer of friendship. That was the biggest difference about them, the thing that had changed the most since their first meeting. Mal would now reach for her at the same time she offered her comfort, the girl never hesitating in her touches or words, and even though she often flushed with nerves and embarrassment – which Evie thought absolutely adorable – she never once panicked, never once worried what might be thought of her in the moment.

            Sighing in complete content she brought her hand up to gently brush her fingers through purple hair, moving it from the girl’s face so that she could see every feature with perfect clarity. _How can someone be this beautiful?_ The corners of her mouth lifted the slightest bit, shifting her features into a soft smile as she studied every centimeter of Mal’s calm expression, praying that it meant the girl’s sleep wasn’t being invaded by horrifying memories. She dared to slip her fingers further into the thick strands, slowly and gently coaxing the small tangles to release, making it easier to brush through another time. When Mal shifted against her she lowered her hand until her fingertips danced along a strong jawline, silently encouraging the girl to open her eyes. She didn’t have to wait long because after only a few seconds her favorite shade of green appeared, hazy with sleep.

            “Good morning,” Evie whispered, her voice raspy from having not used it since waking.

            Evie stilled the stroke of her thumb when Mal’s eyes widened, and she was about to remove her hand when another shot up for pale fingers to slide around her wrist. Honestly, she had no idea what was about to happen.

            “I didn’t have a nightmare.”

            Mal spoke so quietly that Evie almost thought she had imagined the words, however, when a radiant smile formed to grace the girl’s features she couldn’t help but return the gesture, and before thinking about what she was doing she was leaning forward to press her lips to the tip of Mal’s nose. Pulling away, she noticed the sudden red tinting the girl’s cheeks and her smile only spread higher, the visible adoration brightening green eyes giving her a high she didn’t think anything else could. That was when she noticed the difference in the girl’s eyes, and she wondered if she had missed the true color of them this entire time, or if the color had changed with the recent happiness the girl had found. She had seen the girl’s eyes many different shades; she had seen them a bright green that bordered on looking dangerous, she had seen them a light shade of green that made her seem almost bored, and she had seen them a dull green that expressed self-hatred and a life of pain, but she had never once seen them the color they were now. Mal’s eyes sparked with life, the sea-green splattered with golden flecks expressing just how content she was with where she was in life, expressing just how much she _loved_ her life; and Evie found herself falling even further into the girl’s irresistible gaze, utterly incapable of bringing herself back to any surface.

            “I didn’t have a nightmare,” Mal repeated almost breathlessly, the laugh that escaped her lips filled with disbelief and delight.

            “You’re stronger than them, M,” Evie stated, sliding her wrist from Mal’s grip so that she could lace their fingers together instead. “They don’t control you.”

            Mal nodded, tightening her grip on Evie’s hand. “I know.”

********

“We should practice somewhere else today.”

            Evie watched as Mal stopped in her tracks immediately, the clothes she had been holding dropping into the basket hugging the side of the dresser as she lifted her gaze to lock with Evie’s. The entire time Mal had been in the shower Evie had been thinking of every way she could possibly suggest getting out of the room to the girl, well aware that it wasn’t the best idea to carelessly use magic without a locked door keeping them separated from everyone else. However, there was a particular place Evie wanted to take the girl, and she knew for a fact that it rarely received visitors, especially on a Saturday when everyone would be attending the weekend’s tourney game; and it was because of this certainty that she had decided to simply be blunt and express her thoughts.

            “And why is that?” Mal questioned with a skeptical look, moving to lower herself onto the edge of her own bed.

            “I just think we’d both enjoy the fresh air,” Evie shrugged, acting as though she hadn’t thought of a million reasons to back up her idea.

            “Open the window, you weirdo,” Mal suggested, shaking her head in amusement.

            Eyebrows slightly furrowed, Evie grabbed the pillow closest to her and threw it at Mal, watching as the girl easily caught it with a laugh, a small snort following her laughter. She never thought she’d find snorting adorable, but she couldn’t ignore the way her heart fluttered with the sound, well aware that it meant the girl’s laugh was genuine. _Stop being so adorable,_ she thought, throwing another pillow at the girl.

            “Hey!” Mal exclaimed, having not expected the second one. “What was that one for?”

            “For being cute,” Evie answered nonchalantly, enjoying the way Mal’s nose scrunched with disbelief at the answer she had received. “And you’re still being cute, so if you don’t want another pillow thrown at you I’d suggest you stop that right now.”

            A small smile curved Mal’s lips as she held up her hands in surrender. “I’ll try.”

            “It’s for the best,” Evie replied as she got to her feet and made her way over to her mirror, busying herself with applying her cosmetics as she pushed her idea further. “Anyway, there’s this place I know about that I think would be _perfect_ for practicing spells. It’s beautiful and secluded, and I promise nobody else will…”

            The rest of her sentence was exchanged for a squeal as something soft unexpectedly collided with the side of her head, messing up her hair and causing the tip of her eyeliner to draw a line down part of her cheekbone. She turned in the direction of the snorting laughter, eyes narrowed, ready to hit the girl.

            “Why did you do that?” Evie questioned, huffing in annoyance as she turned back to the mirror and reached for the cleaning wipes she kept on the dresser next to it.

            “You were being cute,” Mal’s voice was laced with amusement, and Evie found it difficult to remain irritated.

            “You’re not amusing,” Evie stated, smiling at her reflection when there was no longer any trace of the mishap. She glanced over her shoulder at the girl, finding that sea-green eyes were glowing bright with joy.

            Mal simply shrugged in response before reaching down to retrieve her worn combat boots from underneath her bed. _She’s putting on her shoes,_ Evie noted with a triumph smile gracing her features; _that’s a good sign._ Turning back to the mirror she focused on finishing her make-up, waiting for the girl to break the silence first.

            “So where is this _secluded_ place you speak of?” Mal questioned only a minute later, her voice showing her wariness of the entire idea. “I was pretty convinced Auradon didn’t know anything other than being overly bright and prissy.”

            Evie arched her eyebrow. “Prissy?”

            “Do you deny it?” Mal challenged, crossing her arms across her chest.

            “Not really,” Evie replied honestly after taking a moment to consider the word as a description for Auradon. “Though I think it’d be best used to describe the princesses, _not_ the entire place.”

            “It’s all the same to me,” Mal stated.

            “Am _I_ the same to you?” Evie asked in curiosity, capping the lip-gloss and putting it away as she faced the other girl again, one hand falling to her hip.

            Mal looked up from where she examined her gloves, eyes staring intently into Evie’s as she answered. “No.”

            “And is that a _good_ thing?” Evie prodded, lips already curving into a smile.

            “Not at all,” Mal teased, opening the door to her cabinet and reaching into it for something. “I actually quite like the prissy, pink princesses.”

            “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you tell a bigger lie,” Evie laughed lightly, heart fluttering in excitement when the girl pulled out the jacket she had made for her.

            Mal swirled the inside of her lip around her mouth for a moment. “I don’t think you listen to half of what I say then.”

            “That’s _not_ my fault,” Evie jokingly whined, deciding to play along with the girl. “You’re far too distracting for your own good.”

            “Oh, am I?” Mal’s eyebrows lifted as she breathed out a laugh. “Is it the purple hair?”

            Evie pretended to debate the idea. “No, I think it’s the abnormal paleness.”

            When she saw the girl’s hand reaching for the other pillow she had thrown at her Evie turned away and covered her head, letting the pillow hit her back instead, the sound of Mal’s laugh mixing with her own. She watched as Mal turned to stare at her reflection in the mirror on her side of the room, a smile creeping onto her face when she noted the absence of hatred in bright sea-green eyes; _she doesn’t hate herself anymore._ Nothing made Evie happier in that moment, and – before she had time to think about what she was doing – her legs were carrying her across the room until she was standing directly behind the girl, her own reflection visible behind her due to the difference in their heights. As soon as green eyes flickered down to the thick scar peeking out from underneath her shirt, Evie took another step forward and curled her fingers delicately over the sides of Mal’s arms, leaning down so that she could rest her chin against her shoulder, offering the comfort she already knew the girl needed. Not wanting to prod the girl, she waited until Mal was ready to speak.

            “Do you… do you think people will stare?” Mal questioned quietly, her eyes glistening with too many emotions all at once, the amount overwhelming.

            “Everyone will always stare,” Evie whispered softly, well aware that the people in Auradon hadn’t even stopped staring suspiciously at the original villain kids. “They will always create petty excuses to judge you, or to suspect you. They will always watch you cautiously. But it’s got nothing to do with who you are, what you’ve done, or what you’ve been through. It’s only because you’re not from here, you’re not a _‘hero’_ , and most of them don’t trust those of us who weren’t born into it.”

            “Does it ever change? Do they ever learn to trust us?” Mal asked, gaze finding Evie’s through the mirror.

            Brokenly, Evie shook her head. “I thought it had changed after Ben’s coronation, but I recently realized that it’s an endless cycle. They get used to outsiders, but they never trust us. Even if they aren’t afraid of us taking over and being evil they don’t believe we can make the right decisions, make the _good_ decisions over the evil ones.”

            “Is that what they do to you?” Mal’s eyes were glossed with pain and wanting, but something deeper inside told Evie that she wasn’t asking because she wanted the people of Auradon to trust her specifically.

            “Some of them have tried to convince me that what I want is wrong because it’s not something _they_ understand,” Evie confirmed with more information, keeping her gaze locked on Mal’s through the mirror, watching for every reaction. “I’ve been told that I’m lost, I’ve been told I’m making the worst possible decision of my life, I’ve been told that the one thing I want the most is too dangerous. I’ve heard it all.”

            Green and red-brown never separated for even a second. Evie could see every emotion that swirled in Mal’s eyes even if it was only a brief flash, and she swore she could feel everything the girl felt. It was obvious that Mal wanted to ask something else but was too timid to, and Evie squeezed the girl’s arms reassuringly, letting her know that it was alright to ask anything.

            Mal hesitated, but it seemed as though she couldn’t stop the words from coming out. “Is it all about the same thing?”

            Evie simply nodded, thinking it better to leave her oblivious to the fact that that one thing was actually a person – that it was her – however, with the flash of realization and pain that dulled Mal’s eyes she knew that the girl had a pretty good idea as to what everyone wanted her to stay away from. It made her want to tell the girl that she had become everything to her, that she would never leave no matter what was said about them, it made her want to tear down everyone who had ever dared judge Mal for being different.

            “And how do _you_ feel?” Mal asked hesitantly, seeming unsure whether the question was crossing a line, or not.

            “I’ve never felt more alive, M,” Evie said passionately, fingers squeezing Mal’s arms, her gaze  never leaving the recently dulled green. “I feel found, like I’ve been forgetting to truly experience life until now. My life has never made more sense. Before it was painting my face to my mother’s liking, it was trying everything in my power to attract princes. Now it’s applying make-up as _I_ like, it’s falling for the one person who couldn’t care less about how much make-up I’m wearing, or how I’m dressed.” As she spoke she watched the green brighten in Mal’s eyes, a smile curving her lips. “They say I’m putting myself into danger I can’t imagine, but the truth is… the truth is that there’s nothing that makes me feel safer. It’s the _exact_ opposite of what they’re telling me, and I don’t care if they never understand or accept how I feel, it will never change a single thing.”

            “I wish I could feel that about something,” Mal sighed, the words barely forming from her exhale. “It sounds amazing.”

            “It is,” Evie stated with a soft smile, bumping her nose against the girl’s jaw affectionately. “You’ll find it someday.”

            _And I hope it involves me,_ were the words she didn’t say, no matter how much she craved to.

            This promise is where Mal tensed up the slightest bit, shaking herself out of the trance she seemed to be in before smiling at Evie through the mirror. It shattered everything inside Evie to know that Mal didn’t believe she would ever find that kind of joy.

            “I hope you’re right,” Mal whispered brokenly, looking as though her own actions caused her pain as she stepped from Evie’s hold.

            _I said too much. I went too far._ Evie realized, her heart sinking so low that it no longer felt like it was inside of her. Stepping back, an expression that she knew would clue Mal in on how she suddenly felt reshaped her features despite the effort she put into holding it back – she just couldn’t stop it from taking over. Still, she continued her attempt to paint her mask back onto her skin as if it were instinct; it was a habit that had formed due to the length of time she had been forced to obscure her emotions because of the way her friends always looked to her for reassurance. Even Carlos and Jay had depended on her for answers and guidance, they still did sometimes. However, the very second she met green eyes she knew that her emotions were as clear to the owner as if she had shouted everything she held bottled inside of her at a volume the entirety of Auradon could hear, and this only made her stretch her abilities to mask her emotions despite the realization that her every attempt was pointless. Mal would know how she felt no matter what; the girl always seemed to see through every layer she laminated her walls with.

            The way Mal’s eyes flickered as they took in everything about her nailed her to the floor beneath her, and she felt the steadily saddening expression settling into the outer-layer of sea-green should cause her unease, but she only felt comfort in the unwavering stare, comfort from the knowledge that Mal had a distaste for her being upset. Everything in the girl’s expression in that moment made Evie want to pull Mal into her body again, made her want to fuse their lips together and forget about every worry and every consequence circling patiently around their heads. Though it was immensely difficult, she ignored the feeling. _This isn’t about how you feel, or what you want. It’s about what’s best for Mal._ Still, the pain of knowing she couldn’t be with Mal was much worse than she would have ever imagined this kind of thing being.

            “You never answered me about where this place you want to go is,” Mal spoke suddenly, eyes burning with want; want for what, Evie didn’t know, but she could assume – she could pretend.

            Remembering the way the morning had begun, a smile stretched quickly across Evie’s face as she heard the announcement spoken between the lines of Mal’s words; _I want to know what I’m getting myself into._ They were _definitely_ leaving the dorm; Evie had succeeded.

            “Oh, there was a reason for that,” Evie stated, a mischievous glint now taking refuge in her red-brown eyes as she turned away from the girl to make her way over to her own side of the room. “You’ll see when we get there.”

            “Whoa, slow down there, Princess,” Mal sputtered, and Evie could tell the girl was following her because of the sound of heavy footsteps muting her own light, elegant steps.

            Her heart flipped relentlessly at the use of the title, the way the girl now spoke it softly with affection opposed to the original way she had spit it at her creating a delightful warmth that quickly settled in her chest, a warmth she had only ever felt once before; the first time Mal had called her a princess with nothing but affection. _Well,_ Evie paused in her thoughts, logic and reality swooping in the way it always did even when she was in the depths of her emotions; _really more of a nickname considering I’m not_ really _a princess here._ She debated whether she should leave the entire thing be, and simply enjoy that Mal believed her beautiful and elegant enough to be a _real_ Princess, but guilt already constricted her chest for even _thinking_ about letting the girl remain oblivious to the truth. _Maybe if we were still on the Isle,_ she thought with an internal sigh. She had no idea why she missed the Isle so much, but the longing seemed to grow more each day.

            Turning to face Mal, she watched the girl struggle to stop quickly so she didn’t crash into her, the sight prompting her lips to quirk upward. _She’s honestly the cutest person alive._

            “You know I’m not _actually_ a princess, right?” Evie questioned, though her voice was quieter than she had intended, her desire to be considered one in Auradon still holding strong.

            Mal’s gaze flickered to the tiara resting on her head before she responded by simply raising an eyebrow questioningly, a look that clearly said: _I don't follow._

            Evie averted her gaze, instead focusing on the jewels she had added to the pink folded front of the girl’s jacket, the area having been plain on the original jacket; she felt it looked better this way, and she hoped Mal agreed. Still, she probably shouldn't have taken creative license on the item that was obviously the girl's favorite possession; Mal didn't seem to mind, though.

            “I'm only a princess on the Isle,” Evie explained quietly, still refusing to meet the girl's eyes. “My mother holds no title here, so neither do I.”

            However, when fingers danced delicately along the underside of her chin she found herself staring into intense sea-green eyes soon after, and her heart began flipping immediately due to the look she saw swirling strongly in those breathtaking eyes. Mal reeled her in with just a single look, and she found herself leaning into the girl's touch when fingertips slid over her smooth skin until they could tangle in blue hair. _Nothing about this is normal for friends;_ that knowledge invaded Evie's veins and filled her bloodstream with electricity she had never felt before. Every feeling coursing through her body in that moment seemed amplified because it was then that the truth of things crashed into Evie with a merciless force. The caress that whispered so many unspoken confessions. The mesmerizing gaze that revealed overwhelming emotions embedding themselves in an abused heart, emotions that mirrored hers almost perfectly, the only difference being the presence of confusion in Mal's.

            And the truth she could now see with perfect clarity was that Mal was in love with her, and she almost couldn't believe it, second guessed herself even, but there was no denying the energy she felt connecting them.

            Mal brushed her fingers over the tiara, her gaze never leaving Evie's. “You will always be a princess to me, E.”

            Something shifted inside of Evie at Mal's confession, and it suddenly made keeping herself from crashing into the girl completely the most difficult thing she had ever done. Honestly, she wished more than anything that Mal wasn't this amazing, this perfect – in her opinion. It would make everything a whole world easier. It would make it less painful to continue resisting the desire to kiss Mal with everything inside of her. But that wasn't her reality, and it almost felt as though she were tearing herself apart by taking a step back.

            “Thank you,” Evie whispered almost inaudibly.

            Before she averted her gaze again she found a flash of panic lighting up Mal's eyes, and she wanted to throttle herself for making the girl assume she was uncomfortable with the relationship they had because that was the opposite of the truth – she just wished they could give themselves over to the desires tauntingly circling them. _It's Mal's decision. Not mine. I can't give in._

            “I didn't mean to...”

            “No, it's not that,” Evie interrupted, telling her the truth. “I couldn't be happier that you think I'm a princess. It's just...” she trailed off, trying to put together her thoughts. “It's kind of a sore subject for me.”

            “I'm sorry,” Mal breathed out, eyes prying pleasurably into Evie's soul. “May I ask why?”

            Evie exhaled deeply, shutting her eyes for a brief moment. “All my life I've wanted to be a princess. It's the one thing that hasn't changed since I chose good over evil, but it'll never happen here because of my family ties.”

            Once again – as if neither of them had any control over themselves around the other – Mal reached up to thread her fingers through Evie's hair gently, massaging her scalp comfortingly; and Evie couldn't do anything other than bask in the girl's touch.

            “Don't let the people here get you down, Princess,” Mal spoke quietly, the corners of her mouth curving into a soft, loving smile. “They're just pissed that they're nowhere close to being as fantastic as you.”

            Though she loved hearing those words come from Mal's lips, her heart fractured the slightest bit. _Please,_ she begged the girl with her eyes; _please, just love me._ She knew that the girl did, but it sometimes felt like she was desperately in love with someone who would never love her back, and she couldn't take any more of the feeling that she was hopelessly chasing after the one person who had managed to crawl their way into her heart. To add onto it, she despised feeling this way because it made her feel like a horrible person; she knew it wasn't Mal's fault, that she needed to recover before she could let herself love someone, and yet she still couldn't stop feeling broken. _So many attempts at love, only to find it in the most unexpected place at the worst possible time_. She sighed sadly; she knew she didn't believe that, she knew that – even if she had the chance to – she wouldn't change a single thing about how everything was happening. _I need to remember that even if she doesn't love me the way I think she does, I'm still the luckiest person alive to be the one she trusts the most with everything she's spent years fighting to forget._ When it really came down to it, Evie knew that she would still feel this way if she were to remain nothing more than a friend to Mal, and even if she never got the chance to teach the girl what love meant she would always be the first one by her side when she needed her.

            “You flatter me,” Evie stated, batting Mal's hand away a little bashfully.

            “That's the plan,” Mal smiled brightly, reaching out with both hands now to grip Evie's sides, pulling the taller girl into her and beginning to playfully tickle her.

            “Stop!” Evie squealed, trying her best to slip from Mal's grip only to find that nothing worked; Mal was using her strength advantage against her. “I'm serious, Mal! I will literally murder you.”

            “Now look who's getting violent,” Mal mused, her smile fading into a mischievous smirk as she wrapped her arms completely around Evie and pressed her front into the other girl's back. “I kind of like it.”

            _Now that's_ totally _friendly._ Evie huffed, not entirely sure if she should be annoyed with the girl for behaving this way and making everything that much more difficult, or if she should just be turned on. Surprisingly, she leaned more towards the first one.

            “Can we just go now?” Evie questioned, worried that if she allowed this to go on any longer she would either throw the girl onto the bed, or out the window.

            Evie's spine tensed when she felt lips brushing over her ear. _This fucking girl._

            “I don't think I feel safe going anywhere secluded with you,” Mal whispered, laughing lightly. “Not after you threatened to murder me.”

            “Oh, I would do it in public, too,” Evie shot back, still trying to free herself from Mal's grip; anything to get away from the temptation. “There's nowhere safe for you.”

            Suddenly, Mal released her and she stumbled forward, struggling to balance herself before turning to face the girl, eyes narrowed. Her anger only seemed to amuse Mal more, though.

            “I hate you,” Evie lied, and though her voice sounded utterly serious she knew the girl could see right through her. “You are the worst. First, you turn my shirt _orange_ of all colors, then you _tickle_ me.”

            “Come on, then,” Mal gestured for her to come closer. “Come murder me.”

            _This game is_ not _going to end in your favor._ Evie swiftly closed the distance between them until she was close enough to Mal that the girl had to tilt her head back in order to hold eye-contact. She knew that her hot breath escaped her parted lips only to coat Mal's upper lip, and she was well aware that the girl had frozen completely.

            “No,” Evie breathed out threateningly, keeping her expression blank as she took in Mal's. “I will murder you only when you don't expect it.”

            Mal inhaled sharply, gaze locked on Evie's lips. “I'll look forward to it.”

            “And one more thing,” Evie whispered, one corner of her mouth quirking; she had such a beautiful opportunity in front of her and she couldn't resist.

            “What?” Mal questioned distractedly, still not meeting Evie's stare.

            “My eyes are higher than that.”

            With that, Evie turned to grab her purse from the hanger she always kept it on, leaving a blushing Mal to find her way back to reality. _Yeah, there is definitely_ nothing _platonic about us,_ Evie admitted, her lips curving into an almost timid smile at the thought.


	35. Chapter 35

**_(Evie)_ **

“You really _are_ trying to murder me,” Mal joked suddenly, her voice set deeper than her usual tone.

            Though Evie wanted to laugh she only let her mouth curve upward into a sarcastic smile as she turned around to face the girl walking two steps behind her, giving her an expression that told Mal she wasn't amused. In reality, she was glad it was their earlier conversation that had come back to light instead of something new, the playful banter helping distract her from the tempting lure of Mal's voice, keeping her from finding it seductive – well, for the most part, she was human, after all.

            “Maybe I am,” Evie mused, arching her eyebrow as a smirk appeared to grace her features. “What everybody will want to know is why you're following me anyway.”

            “And they will never know,” Mal replied without hesitation despite sounding nervous.

            Evie would be worried if there was even a sliver of possibility that Mal actually believed she would hurt her, but she was extremely aware that the girl was simply trying to keep conversation flowing between them. Slowing down her stride, Evie extended her hand to Mal, a small smile manipulating her mouth as she wiggled her fingers, her eyes gleaming with mischief. Mal lifted her eyebrow in question, reaching out to slide her fingers through Evie's, the look present in her eyes telling her that she wasn't afraid of her.

            “Not afraid of me, huh?” Evie questioned, pulling Mal to her side so they could walk together, hand-in-hand. “I'll have to do something about that.”

            Mal snorted. “Good luck. I'll _never_ be afraid of a princess.”

            “I don't see why,” Evie replied honestly, thinking of Audrey. “Princesses can be quite frightening.”

            “Oh, really?” Mal arched her eyebrow, lightly bumping Evie's arm with her shoulder. “Which one are _you_ afraid of?”

            “What? I didn't...”

            “Sure you didn't,” Mal shook her head in amusement, her smirk taunting.

            Evie narrowed her gaze at the girl, releasing a conceding huff. “Fine. Audrey scares me a little bit, but only because she's _literally_ insane.”

            “Audrey?” Mal's lips quirked the slightest bit, and the smug look settling into her features made Evie want to get rid of it; though she wasn't sure if she wanted to do it by smacking, or kissing, her. “Have I met that one?”

            “I don't know who you have and haven't met,” Evie answered unhelpfully, silently hoping the girl hadn't met the princess, though she found herself wondering how that meeting would play out. “You should really keep track of people yourself, you know.”

            Mal merely shrugged. “I only care to remember the names of the people who aren't annoying.”

            Struggling to keep herself from laughing, Evie playfully rolled her eyes, making sure Mal had seen her do so. Mal didn't react to her in any way, and she didn't give her a verbal response, instead focusing her attention on the signs labeling the paths ahead of them, a smile setting into her features when she saw how close they were to their destination.

            For the first time in her life, Evie felt like a truly giddy school-girl as she tightened her fingers around Mal's and tugged her off the main pathway into the thick trees. She was unbelievably ecstatic to show Mal the meadow she had spent many hours of various days hiding away in, ignoring the eyes full of hate and looks expressing distrust that had followed her everywhere when she had first arrived in Auradon. Even though it had been less than a year since things had calmed down she had changed miraculously since then. She hadn't been like Carlos and Jay; she hadn't been capable of ignoring what others thought of her, she had strove for everyone's love and envy, and being surrounded by people who expressed the opposite emotions had frightened her, brought her head from the clouds and into reality. The meadow had been a sanctuary for her, a place where she could pretend the hate didn't exist, and the only person she had ever brought to see it was Lonnie, not even Carlos and Jay had been introduced to her hiding place.

            But now, she wanted Mal to see it. She wanted Mal to forget about every lie that had poisoned her brain and fooled her into believing she wasn't worth anything; she wanted Mal to breathe in its beauty and realize she deserved everything, the way Evie had realized she deserved to find her own joy instead of her mother's.

            Having been lost in her thoughts and too focused on getting to the meadow, Evie hadn't realized that Mal was watching her intently, almost as if she had been saying everything on her mind. Though she knew it was impossible for the girl to have heard her thoughts, she glanced nervously over her shoulder in attempt to postpone meeting the girl's gaze because with only a brief peripheral glance she had been able to tell that Mal was contemplating something; and she felt slightly anxious about figuring out what was going through the other girl's mind. After a minute, she still refused to look at the girl, and she decided to bring up her staring indirectly.

            “You're going to run into something if you don't watch where you're going.”

            Nothing. Mal didn't even look away in embarrassment from being caught staring.

            Finally, she looked to her right to meet the girl's gaze. “What?”

            “Nothing,” Mal replied unconvincingly, shaking her head slightly.

            “Why are you staring at me like that?” Evie asked curiously, focusing back on the woods stretching in front of them.

            “Just trying to remember what your name is,” Mal answered with a smirk.

            It took her a moment to realize what was happening, but when the ending of their conversation popped back into her mind she let go of the girl's hand and shoved Mal away, incapable of stopping herself from joining in the laughter when Mal's laugh rang through the air. _I love this girl._

            “I hate you,” Evie said, her smile contradicting her words as she stepped away from Mal when the girl attempted to rejoin her.

            “Oh, come on,” Mal pleaded through her continued laughter, reaching out for Evie's hand again, only managing to grab air when the taller girl moved her hand from her reach another time. “Don't act this way, Evie, I remember your name.”

            “Clearly,” Evie noted, glancing at the girl through her peripheral vision.

            Still, Evie stepped away when Mal reached for her again, a smile reshaping her lips when she heard the girl huff in frustration; she enjoyed messing with this girl far too much. Mal fell back to walk behind her again, but she knew better than to believe the girl had given up, well aware that it was an endless loop between them messing with each other. She wouldn't want it any other way. However, she wasn't expecting Mal to lung forward and snake her arms around her waist so quickly that she didn't even have time to release a breath, and she found herself shrieking when she was lifted from the ground.

            “What are you doing?” Evie shouted, fingers clasping tightly around Mal's arms, her nails digging into the leather of the girl's jacket in fear.

            “You wouldn't let me hold your hand,” Mal stated like it explained everything, refusing to relax her hold on Evie and put her down.

            “So you pick me up?” Evie exclaimed, attempting to use her height to her advantage by reaching for the ground with her feet, however, Mal seemed to have her held high enough to stop her from succeeding. “How are you even doing this? You're at least five inches shorter than me, I should be able to touch the ground.”

            “You are _not_ five inches taller than me,” Mal scoffed in disbelief, seemingly offended by the statement.

            “Put me down and we'll see,” Evie retorted, digging her fingers further into the leather when she felt Mal lifting her higher by winding an arm underneath her knees. “You're crazy, M.”

            “I know,” Mal offered her a crooked smile, sticking her tongue out in the process. “But that doesn't mean you're five inches taller than me.”

            “I'm sorry if you're in denial, but you're kind of short, Mal,” Evie squealed when Mal started spinning her around. “Stop it!”

            Laughing, Mal finally let her feet touch the ground again, but only after she had spun her around enough times that Evie stumbled the slightest bit when she first stood on her own; she had to reach out and grab hold of Mal's shoulder to steady herself. When she got over her slight dizziness she turned on the girl and smacked her arm.

            “Ouch,” Mal laughed, bringing her hand up to rub the area she had hit.

            “You deserved that,” Evie stated, continuing through the trees without the girl, only looking over her shoulder when she realized she wasn't following. “You coming?”

            Mal arched her eyebrow, but didn't respond verbally.

            “Don't give me that look,” Evie pushed her lower lip out in a pout, noting the way sea-green eyes immediately flickered down to watch the movement closely. “You started this. You're always doing things I don't want you to do.”

            “What can I say? I'm rebellious,” Mal shrugged nonchalantly, one corner of her mouth quirking upward.

            “Yeah, you're also short,” Evie rolled her eyes despite the smile that now tugged at her lips, recalling the conversation they'd had about fighting when the girl was in the infirmary; _why is she like this?_ “Neither of them have anything to do with you following me, so come on.”

            Mal made her way over to Evie, stopping with only a few inches between them. Evie's breath hitched in her throat, and if it was anyone else she would have cursed herself for allowing her body to react in such a way, having always believed she was the only one in any relationship who could break the other down with ease; _I was so wrong._ But she didn't mind the way she couldn't control her body with Mal, it was somehow liberating – though not being able to do anything about it contradicted everything.

            “Take them off,” Mal spoke quietly, almost as if she was afraid someone would overhear them.

            “Take what off? My clothes?” Evie questioned with an arched eyebrow, well aware what the girl meant but not wanting to miss the opportunity. “In the middle of the woods, Mal? That's a bit strange, don't you think?”

            Like she had expected, Mal's cheeks turned red immediately, however, she found herself surprised when the girl's gaze flickered lower than it usually did, scanning her body briefly before averting completely, her cheeks even more flushed. _Someone's imagining,_ Evie smirked, bringing her hands up to rest on her hips as she raised both her eyebrows this time.

            Eventually, Mal seemed recovered enough to clarify. “Your heels.”

            “Ah, I see,” Evie was being dramatic, but that's what made it so amusing to her. “And why do you want me to take off my heels?”

            “Are you afraid to see the truth about our heights?” Mal met Evie's gaze again, all nerves washed away by a smirk that screamed a challenge. She crossed her arms over her chest, the action causing her arms to skim Evie as well.

            “No,” Evie breathed out, knowing she was taller than the girl even without her heels; how much taller, she wasn't sure. “I'm still taller than you. I'm five-foot-five, how tall are you?”

            Mal knit her eyebrows together in thought. “Don't know.”

            “Not as tall as me,” Evie teased, reaching up to tuck a wild strand of purple hair behind Mal's ear. “Come on, M, you don't have to be taller than me.”

            “Oh, I definitely don't mind that you're taller than me,” Mal snorted, clearly amused. “You're just not _five inches_ taller than me, not without your heels, Princess.”

            “You don't mind?” Evie questioned, a smirk reshaping her lips as she quirked an eyebrow. “Enjoy looking up at me, do you?”

            Mal's gaze left hers for a moment, but not long enough to clue Evie in on what she had been glancing at. “If that's what you want to believe, then yes.”

            Despite not knowing exactly what Mal had been glancing at Evie felt as though the girl was still imagining the earlier scenario she had painted, and this time it was her cheeks that heated. _Does she mean...?_ She tried to glance down subtly to see if the girl was anywhere near being lined up with her chest; _no, she's short, but not that short._ She sighed. _This isn't getting any easier_ , Evie realized as she tore her gaze from Mal's, feeling exposed in an extremely different way than usual; _when did everything start seeming so sexual?_ She figured she needed to get her head on straight. Mal was only seventeen, she didn't even know if the girl even _thought_ about that kind of thing, yet. Her eyes fell shut in disappointment when her mind immediately focused on the last word of that sentence.

            However, their entire morning flashed through Evie's mind as if she were watching her own life on a television, and she found herself wondering if she had everything wrong. She couldn't stop wondering, _what if?_ She couldn't stop thinking about everything. The gentle, loving way Mal had caressed her chin to get their eyes connected as she said: _You will always be a princess to me, E._ The way she had combed through her hair while telling her that nobody was as great as her. The way she had held her close and whispered in her ear: _I kind of like it._ The way she had only stared at her lips when there had been little space between their bodies. And now; the way Mal had scanned her body after she had made a joke about undressing. _What if I'm making a huge mistake by not telling her how I feel?_ She really didn't know what to think in this moment, but she knew that being confused wasn't the ideal time.

            And that's why she took a step away and turned to continue leading Mal to the meadow, however, when a hesitant hand grabbed hold of hers she brought her gaze back to the shorter girl without wasting a moment. She wasn't prepared to see the timid confusion coating Mal's eyes, and she definitely wasn't prepared for the words that spilled from irresistible lips as though it were impossible to keep them from doing so.

            “What's going on between us, Evie?” Mal asked quietly, her eyes pleading for a specific answer while presenting her growing hesitation. “Is all of this normal for friends?”

            Evie was frozen with disbelief. _Did she just...?_ This was the moment she had been waiting for, the moment where she could admit everything, and yet all she could do was open her mouth in attempt to speak while nothing actually came out. She had never once thought words would fail her when this time came.

            “Not...”

            But as soon as she got the first word out an unexpected pain seared through her chest, quickly spreading through the rest of her body and stealing everything from inside her. Her knees buckled and she collapsed, the only thing keeping her from colliding harshly with the ground being the arms that wrapped around her in panic. She thought she heard Mal's voice, but she couldn't decipher a single word the girl said, her entire body feeling like it was about to explode, her head throbbing hard enough she swore she could hear her skull cracking with every pulse.

 

**_(Mal)_ **

Panicking, Mal's mind completely left her as she felt her stomach turn inside out at the sight of Evie suffering. _No, please_ , she begged, though she wasn't sure who or what she was begging to; _please don't do this to her. She doesn't deserve it. Give it to me instead._ That last piece echoed in her head multiple times before something dawned on her, her mind slowly returning from the numb state it had descended into the second Evie had collapsed into her.

            However, before she could do anything something alarming caught her attention, and – cursing just about everything that existed – she looked up from the girl convulsing in her arms to find several hooded men and women approaching them from where they had hidden themselves in the thick treeline. _I'm so fucking stupid!_ Mal cursed herself for letting her guard break down, well aware that it was the only reason any of this was happening; _I'm so sorry, Evie. I'm so sorry for failing you, too._ But she hadn't, not yet, and so she forced herself to snap out of it and focus on the situation instead of damning herself for condemning them.

            Glancing around frantically, she noticed they were completely surrounded.

            “I'll fix this, Princess,” Mal spoke through tears as she brought her gaze back to the girl in her arms, praying that Evie would never have to experience this amount of pain again. “I promise.”

            Holding Evie closer to her body she closed her eyes and exhaled deeply, bracing herself for the pain she knew would crash over her in a few seconds. Gritting her teeth, she cried out in pain as she stole every ounce of pain from Evie's body until it swirled around inside of her, shredding her to pieces. _How did she not scream?_

            “Mal?” Evie's voice broke through her senses.

            She brought her blurred gaze to meet the red-brown eyes that belonged to the girl she cherished more than anything else in this world. Fingers clasped tightly around her arms, squeezing her as red-brown eyes widened in realization.

            “What are you doing?” Evie questioned, searching sea-green eyes full of pain. “Give it back to me!”

            Mal shook her head, but she knew she'd have to let go of the girl for a brief moment if she was going to get them out of this. Those unknown words that had often loomed over her, just out of her reach, now flashed in front of her mind, itching the back of her throat in attempt to get her to say them.

            “I'm sorry,” Mal apologized breathlessly, letting go of Evie.

            The second Evie's back arched in pain she wanted to kill herself for letting the pain go back into her, but she pushed passed the overwhelming emotions scorching her to pull the zipper on her jacket so she could shrug it off her shoulders. Lifting Evie, she draped her jacket over her lithe shoulders as she siphoned the pain from the girl's body again, letting it flood through her.

            “Get on my back,” Mal hissed, gaze settling on the agents approaching at a quicker pace.

            “What?” Evie questioned, completely baffled.

            “Get on my back!” Mal repeated with more urgency, looking directly into Evie's eyes and pleading with her. “And don't let go.”

            With only another brief moment of hesitation, Evie moved as quickly as she could with the aftershocks of the pain still traveling through her body, crawling onto Mal's back and wrapping her arms tightly around her neck. Breathing deeply, Mal closed her eyes and focused on the imminent danger surrounding them, forcing herself to ignore Evie's comforting touch as the girl leaned her cheek against the side of her head. It only took a few seconds of telling herself that she knew who was behind this attack to infuriate herself enough for it to work.

            “Don't for a second loosen your hold,” Mal told Evie as she allowed fury to fill her body along with the pain she continued stealing from the older girl's body.

            And within another second they were both surrounded in green smoke as Mal transformed into her dragon form, never once focusing on anything else other than Evie, making sure the girl was still placed safely on her back. She reared up, letting a growl break free from deep within as she finally focused in on the agents – fire escaping through her bared teeth – prepared to do everything it took to save Evie.

            The agents all faltered in their steps, looking terrified as they stared up at the large dragon in front of them, seemingly realizing why Head had always kept her obsessively leashed. But she didn't care about anything any of them had done to her, she only cared that they now threatened Evie, that they were here to kill her. As she sprung forward she heard a scream from directly behind her, and she closed her eyes briefly; _please hold on, Princess._ That's exactly what Evie did, the hold around her neck tightening as the girl flattened her body against her neck and dug her legs into her back, holding on with every ounce of strength inside of her. The reassurance that Evie wouldn't fall was all she needed, and nothing could stop her as she threw her claws into one group of agents, tearing through every one of them with a single swipe.

            All she wanted was to fly away, to not let Evie know how many people she had murdered in her life, but she knew that it wasn't an option; if she let them live now they would only keep attacking until one side fell in defeat, and she wasn't about to let that side be hers. It wasn't just her and Evie anymore, it was both Carlos and Jay as well, both of the boys having been drug into her mess because of her careless behavior; and there was nothing in this world that would ever get her to allow any of those three to die for any reason, especially not one that was entirely her fault.

            And so she fought, turning on the second group of agents with her claws while she smashed the third with her spiked tail, none of them surviving either blow. Pulling back, she released a breath of fire on the final group that had closed in on them from behind, waiting for the last agent to fall before pushing off the ground. Loading her next breath with magic, Mal breathed her fire over the entire area, the flames erasing any evidence of the gruesome battle instead of scorching the beautiful trees that had hidden it from the rest of Auradon. Without a second thought, she lifted herself into the air, spreading her wings and flying away from the battle she would now have to explain to Evie, knowing she was even less prepared for the fight that would surely come next.


	36. Chapter 36

**_(Evie)_ **

Wind whipped relentlessly at her face and tangled her hair, and at one point she felt her tiara slipping from its place on her head but she didn't dare attempt to catch it, keeping her arms wrapped tightly around the thick neck of the dragon she rode on the back of. _The dragon that happens to be the girl I'm in love with_. It seemed strange, alarming even, because there was only one other person Evie knew of that could transform into a dragon, and she hadn't ever really considered the idea that more people possessed the shape-shifting ability. However, it was impossible to ignore now despite the feeling that her mind had left her as soon as everything turned down the worst possible path; she felt as though she couldn't think about anything, but thoughts bombarded her anyway, bouncing out of her reach before she could decipher any of the meanings.

            The only thing that seemed to stick was the newly discovered knowledge that Mal wasn't only magic, but someone who could shift into a different form at any given time. She figured that should terrify her beyond belief – especially since the girl's second form was a _dragon_ , of all things – but she wasn't scared; not of Mal at least. _Why should I be?_ _She just saved my life._ Though she didn't understand most of what was happening right now she understood that; Mal had saved her. And not only that, but the girl hadn't hesitated to take the pain for herself, more willing to suffer herself than allow Evie to. Mal really was a wonder to this world, both good and evil, pure and tainted, and it was exactly what made her the best person the world had to offer. No, she wasn't a hero with constant pure intentions or a villain always craving to destroy the world; she was the most beautiful mix of both Evie had ever seen. Mal wasn't a hero and she wasn't a villain, she was just a girl who lived life how she wanted to, making decisions quickly whether they were simple or complicated, never worrying about what was considered the line between good and evil; and Evie decided that was exactly what this world needed.

            When the wind lessened its attack Evie finally let her eyes open for the first time since she had been lifted into the air, and she watched cautiously as the ground grew closer as Mal tucked her wings into her sides and landed. _We're back on the ground,_ Evie released the breath she had been holding; _we're back on the ground._ She didn't know if she had a distaste for flying, or if she was merely in shock, but it didn't matter in that moment; she was glad to be out of the sky. The large, heated body beneath her lowered as far as the girl could manage, and it took her a moment to realize what was expected of her. Slowly releasing her hold, Evie brought both her legs around to one side and closed her eyes again as she allowed her body to slide from the dragon's back, her legs buckling on impact with the ground. Before she could even fall the slightest bit something was there to straighten her, and when she looked over to figure out what it was she found herself looking into sea-green eyes, Mal having used her snout to keep her from crashing to the ground.

            It took Evie a moment to realize that neither of them were being plagued by a disabling pain, and she glanced down at her necklace when she registered the constant low hum emitting from the red jewel in place of the shrieking pulse. The red glass was lit brightly, but it was a different light than anything she had ever seen coming from it before, and paired with the new sensation it gave her she realized that it wasn't shining with anger, but something else entirely. _It's... happy?_

            Before she could do anything else a thick layer of green smoke distracted her, separating her from the dragon beside her and causing her to take a step back, and she instead ignored the necklace to watch as the smoke dissipated to reveal Mal standing in front of her in her human form. Her breath caught in her throat as her heart seemed to forget how to beat, and she found herself yearning to make everything better when she noticed the fear plastering Mal's eyes. At first, she thought Mal was worried about how she would react to finding out what she was, but the longer their gazes held each other she realized that it wasn't that at all, it was something completely different. A deeper look revealed that it wasn't fear swirling through sea-green eyes, it was disappointment; Mal was horrified with herself for keeping secrets. Evie understood, though, because being able to shift into a dragon wasn't exactly the kind of thing people would brag about in Auradon, not with the strict rules looming over the use of magic. Mal had no reason to feel terrible about not telling her about this, but she knew there was little she could do to stop her from feeling the way she did, that all she could do was reassure her that it didn't change a thing between them.

            And so, when Mal's lips parted for the words ready to spill from them, Evie reached forward before the first word could mix with the air, grabbing hold of Mal's shoulders and enveloping her in the tightest embrace she had ever given someone.

 

**_(Mal)_ **

Lying in bed that night, Mal had never felt more conflicted in her entire life, not even when she had been learning how to survive on her own, unsure of everything. _Let me help you, M._ That was all Evie had said after she had explained everything to her; the agency, the artifact, the mission. That was all Evie had said after Mal had told her she had been sent to protect her from the greedy hands of agencies, only to kill her and take her necklace back to the worst agency of them all. She hadn't just drug another person into her  quickly growing disaster, she had drug the one person who was probably better off knowing nothing into a mess that would more than likely leave her unhealthily paranoid from now on, constantly afraid that her life would be stolen at any given moment. Part of her wondered if it was better this way, knowing that Evie deserved to know about the price on her head, but she couldn't stop herself from worrying what would happen now.

            Everything had blown up around her today.

            The weight of her secrets hadn't been meant for Evie's shoulders to bear, yet she had somehow managed to unload two of the worst ones onto them, pulling the girl not only into the stress of her mission, but also the mess of her life. Mal wasn't stupid; she knew Evie was intelligent enough to piece everything together. Still, she couldn't bring herself to admit out loud who her mother was, not directly. She knew it was only a matter of time before Evie knew everything, but she couldn't stand the idea of telling the girl where she came from because she didn't want her to know. It was a horrible way to feel, but she didn't care; she didn't want to know what would happen when everyone found out that she was the daughter of Maleficent. She didn't know much – only the whispers she had heard while growing up – but she had heard enough to know that Maleficent was considered the worst villain of them all, and the last thing she wanted was to be tied down by the things her mother had done. And though she knew Evie would never leave her she still feared the idea of the girl seeing her mother in her.

            But nothing seemed to remain a secret in Auradon no matter how well protected it was, and she now wished she hadn't told Ben her mother claimed to be the Mistress of All Evil, praying that somehow he wouldn't recognize the title – though she knew it was nothing but wishful thinking.

            The worst part was that she knew these worries of being seen as Maleficent's daughter stemmed solely from the fact that she found similarities between the woman and herself, and she couldn't seem to talk herself out of believing herself just as monstrous as her mother, if not more. That was her biggest fear; losing herself in her mother's shadow. She feared she already had with the way she harmed people without a second thought, the way she murdered without blinking. It hadn't bothered her before, but now she couldn't get rid of the gnawing feeling in her chest telling her that she wasn't any better than the woman Auradon viewed as the worst villain in all the land. Sure, she wasn't cursing entire kingdoms, but her mother hadn't murdered anyone with any of her evil schemes, while Mal couldn't remember how many lives she had already stolen. She couldn't even remember the faces of those she had struck down this morning, and though she hadn't known it before it had recently become obvious to her that murder was an everlasting haunting for any halfway decent person.

            However, no matter how much these thoughts plagued her, they weren't the only nails clawing relentlessly at her mind.

            Even as her fears struck her repeatedly she couldn't stop another question from finding its way to the front of her mind the same way it had that morning, her desire to know the answer slowly breaking her down. She wanted – no, she _needed_ – to know what was going through the girl's head as they both lay awake in the dead of the night, sleep the farthest thing from their minds; and she swore she could feel Evie from across the room, swore she could feel her contemplating something. It wasn't only the girl's thoughts on what had happened in the woods that she wanted, it was her feelings about her in general, and though she knew it probably wasn't as important as it felt she couldn't help but crave the answer to the latter more; it was important to her, and she didn't care if it shouldn't be.

            She was tired of waiting, tired of hoping she would figure this all out on her own; she _needed_ Evie to reassure her that she wasn't insane for thinking there might be something deeper between them than friendship. And the longer she laid there staring at the ceiling the less she cared about hearing that she was nothing like her mother. It wasn't important to her in that moment, she could deal with it later, what she needed to know was how Evie felt about everything going on between them, and she hadn't gotten anywhere close to the answer on her own, not when the girl kept tucking emotions away in a place even Mal couldn't find. She knew it was only a matter of time before she lost all her restraint and the question poured out without any filtering again, so she figured there was no point in waiting for disaster to rain on her; she needed to do it on her own terms, not on the terms of the invisible force that often controlled her mouth when she was around the gorgeous princess.

            Almost as if she had released her desires into the air carelessly, the sound of something sliding against sheets delicately brought her from her mind and back into the dark room her body was in, and when she shifted her gaze to the bed across from her she found her view blocked by a figure approaching her own. She watched every step Evie took, noticing that the girl wasn't the slightest bit hesitant in her movements as she pulled back the covers and lowered herself onto the mattress next to her, settling in on her side. Releasing a light breath, Mal rolled onto her side so that she was facing the older girl, tucking her arm underneath her head as she stared into red-brown eyes, waiting for Evie to speak first.

            “Are you okay?” Evie asked in barely more than a whisper, eyes glazed with worry.

            “I've been through this kind of thing more times than I can count,” Mal replied, pushing passed the top layer of red-brown in search of the feelings she knew she would find. “How are _you_ doing?”

            Evie remained silent for a long moment, her left hand reaching into the space between them and beginning to manipulate the sheets, her eyes falling to watch the movement. Mal kept her gaze on the girl's face, studying every feature she could see, which happened to be most of them since she could see in the dark without struggle; the only features she couldn't see were due to the pillow pressing into one side of the girl's face.

            “I'm only worried about you,” Evie finally answered, bringing her gaze back up to meet Mal's. “I don't want to lose you, Mal.”

            The look shining in Evie's eyes tugged on something inside Mal's chest, and she couldn't stop the corners of her mouth from turning upward in a relieved smile, her mind relaxing now that it had been clarified that Evie didn't think any less of her after today. Reaching forward, Mal slid her hand on top of Evie's, taking her time to memorize every bit of smooth skin she touched as she laced their fingers together under the sheets.

            “You're not going to lose me,” Mal reassured, hoping it wasn't a lie. “I'm going to stay right here and continue doing everything you don't want me to do.”

            A light laugh escaped Evie's lips at that, and she tightened her fingers around Mal's. “What happens the next time there's an attack?”

            “I'll be better prepared,” Mal answered honestly, still disappointed in herself for letting her guard break down in a way that endangered both of them. “I will _never_ let anyone hurt you, my Princess.”

            “That's exactly what I'm afraid of,” Evie whispered brokenly, frantically searching Mal's eyes for something the younger girl knew she wouldn't find. “I'm afraid that you'll willingly sacrifice yourself to save me if it comes down to it.”

            No words were needed, so Mal simply nodded.

            “Please, Mal, please promise me you won't throw away your life for me,” Evie pleaded, untangling their hands to reach up and caress Mal's face.

            “I promise I will do everything I can to keep both of us alive,” Mal danced around the girl's wish, knowing she would be lying if she were to tell her what she wanted to hear. “But I can't promise you what you want me to, Evie, because I will always choose myself over you in that kind of situation. I'm not going to lie to you, but I am sorry that I can't make you happy.”

            She didn't want to see the tears she knew were filling beautiful eyes, so she reached out to flatten her palm against the girl's back and pull their bodies together, allowing Evie to bury her face in her neck. Slipping her other arm underneath the girl's body she held her tighter, feeling fingertips dig into the nape of her neck as hot breath tickled her collarbone. It wasn't long before Evie pulled back just enough to press her forehead against Mal's, using her grip on the back of her neck to guide her where she wanted.

            “Don't you _ever_ think that you don't make me happy, okay?” Evie spoke too loudly for how close they were, but Mal didn't mind, the amount of emotion and passion lacing the girl's voice taking her breath away. “I couldn't ask for anyone better to be by my side. You're brave, you're thoughtful, you're selfless, you're intelligent, and you're beautiful. I... You are _amazing_ , Mal, please don't ever think less of yourself.”

            Everything Evie had just said were the things that Mal would hold onto whenever she felt like shattering, but at this time she could only focus on one thing; the small hesitation. _I..._ _You what, Evie?_ It was exactly what she had been hoping to figure out. Once again, Evie was holding something back, and Mal wanted to scream at the world to let her be sure of something for once instead of being left in bewilderment because the pieces were too challenging to place together. It broke her to know that there were things Evie wouldn't say, things she didn't trust her with, but she was determined to push that pain aside in order to gain the proper pieces to finally finish her puzzle.

            Pulling away from Evie so she could look directly into her eyes, Mal didn't fight the question as her emotions and desires got a good hold of her. “Why do you do it?”

            “What do you mean?” Evie questioned, eyebrows reaching toward each other to express her confusion with Mal's sudden question.

            “You always shove down your feelings for my sake, for my health,” Mal explained after releasing a deep breath that had been meant to settle her. “Why do you do it?”

            A flicker of realization flashed through red-brown eyes, but Mal watched with difficulty as Evie immediately placed a cover over that section of her, effectively shutting her out. _Why do you do that? Please, Evie, please let me in._ She still wasn't used to being left in the dark when it came to how Evie was feeling, having had a talent of knowing the things rushing through the girl's veins from the beginning, but no matter how hard she tried, how much she pushed with her pleading eyes, she couldn't get into that part of Evie, and it was steadily crushing her under an unbearable weight.

            “I don't...”

            “Don't _do_ that!” Mal exclaimed, not being able to control herself. It was all too much. “Don't do that,” she repeated with a broken whisper.

            “I...” Evie began, stopping herself when she seemed to think better of what she had been about to say. She reached up to thread her fingers in Mal's hair. “I can't explain it.”

            “Bullshit,” Mal retorted, reaching up to grab hold of the hand tangled in her hair.

            “What do you want me to say, Mal?” Evie asked in exasperation, fingers curling around Mal's as much as they could.

            “I want you to say everything you feel, I want you to stop hurting yourself for my sake,” Mal answered with just as much emotion coating her voice, praying that she didn't have everything entirely wrong, praying that this was more than just a fool's wish. “You've been holding something inside for a while and I can see that it's killing you. It's killing me too, Evie, to see you hurting yourself because you think it's what's best for me.”

            She felt like the world was completely against her, she felt like there was a force keeping her from finding everything she wanted, and she was tired of living this way; she was tired of living off the pathetic scraps that were handed to her. She wanted something _real,_ something breathtaking. She wanted _Evie._ _Don't I deserve something?_ Mal asked, shutting her eyes for a brief moment; _please, world, please just let me be happy._

But her surety that everything was working against her only grew when all Evie did was shake her head, the simple movement a forceful blow on her heart. She let go of Evie's hand, gaze averting to the room over the girl's shoulder.

            “It would make me selfish,” Evie whispered, bringing her hand up so that her thumb could brush delicately over a prominent cheekbone. “And that's not how I want to live.”

            Mal lifted her gaze to meet Evie's again. “Everyone deserves to be selfish.”

            “You can't tell me to be selfish, Mal, you don't get to,” Evie replied, voice low and quiet. “You don't get to tell me to be selfish when you would literally give your life to save me.”

            Broken, but understanding the girl's argument, Mal nodded, shooting forward to hide her face against Evie's chest as she closed her fingers around the back of the girl's shirt and held the material tightly. She felt lips press to the top of her head and fingers slide through her hair, and she shut her eyes again, breathing in the girl's scent and letting it fill every crevice of her senses.

            All she had wanted was for the world to answer a single prayer, the one that could gift her with the one surety she needed the most. Apparently, it had been too much to ask for. Or maybe she had gotten everything entirely wrong, maybe she had learned to love herself enough to fool herself into believing someone else could love her, too. Maybe that was all there was to it.


	37. Chapter 37

**_(Mal)_ **

Incessant tapping broke into Mal's unconscious mind, pulling her from her light sleep enough for her to realize that the sound was coming from someone knocking on the door. She moved to get up, only to find that a light weight against her side was holding her down, and her cheeks flushed with heat when she registered the radiating warmth of the body behind her. _When did that happen?_ Glancing over her shoulder as best she could, she found Evie sleeping contentedly, her body molded to Mal's back and her arm slung over the smaller girl's waist so that her palm rested against her stomach. Dropping her head back against the pillow she exhaled heavily; she wanted to stay. However, despite the fact that the knock continued echoing through the room, it was only when she remembered the night before that she decided to get up, and she did so quickly, sliding from underneath Evie's arm until she could no longer feel the girl's body-heat.

            The hardened tip to Evie's voice when she had told her that she didn't get to tell her to be selfish rang through her ears, the girl's words present in her mind as if they were only just now being said. Though she knew Evie hadn't meant any of it harshly, part of her couldn't seem to move passed the evasive way the girl had shut her down, and she almost felt it would have been easier to just hear the rejection through blunt words. The way it had happened didn't matter, though, she knew that, and she also knew that she had no right to feel as though the world was beating her down again, so she told herself to get over it since it had been entirely her fault with the way she had pried into something she shouldn't have. _Why do I always have to ruin everything?_ It shouldn't change a single thing between them, but it would be difficult to continue behaving as she previously had with the girl, and even more challenging to ignore the sharp sword of rejection that now continuously pierced her chest. _Rejection_. The word and feeling was unfamiliar to her given the way she had always believed she wouldn't have to deal with it, not with the way she had constantly closed herself off from everyone; but now that she had finally allowed herself to open up she felt the gruesome sting of it pulsing through her veins. And, as it had when she had woken, fear plagued her, fear that the rejection would only taunt her whenever the girl touched her, reminding her how foolish she had been to even think it possible Evie might share her feelings.

            _This isn't the time, Mal;_ she told herself as she moved toward the door, grabbing the handle and pulling it open to reveal Jay waiting on the other side. _I should have known_. _With the annoying knocking and all._ She arched her eyebrow, keeping hold of the handle as she shifted all her weight to one foot to wait for the boy to state why he was here.

            “Hey, is Evie awake?” Jay questioned, reaching up to fix the beanie covering his hair. “I couldn't find her anywhere yesterday.”

            Mal glanced over her shoulder at her bed, swirling her lip around inside her mouth as she tried to decide whether the girl was still sleeping, or not. “No, I don't think so.”

            “Oh, that's cool,” Jay shrugged casually. “Can you tell her I need to talk to her?”

            “Yeah,” Mal nodded, suppressing a yawn as she went to close the door.

            “Wait,” Jay said suddenly, stopping the door with his hand.

            Opening the door back up, Mal met Jay's gaze and found discomfort there. _What does he want?_ She wondered as he fixed his beanie again – which had nothing wrong with it – before shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

            “I'm... I'm not good with this type of thing, so I'm just going to say it, is that cool? That's cool, okay,” Jay cleared his throat, his question for Mal coming out as more of a pep-talk for himself. “I realized that I never really apologized for the way I treated you, so... I'm sorry for treating you like shit.”

            Out of all the things she had been worried about coming from Jay's mouth after that display, an apology definitely hadn't been one of them, and now she felt as uncomfortable as he looked; she wasn't good with this kind of thing either. They both stood there in silence for a moment, Mal's gaze locked on the floor and Jay's on the way her hand fidgeted with the doorknob.

            “Thanks,” Mal finally said what she meant, though she didn't understand why he had felt the need to apologize. “I um...” she didn't know what to say, and she ended up just awkwardly reaching out to lightly punch Jay's shoulder. “Me too.”

            It was the most awkward moment of Mal's life, especially when silence fell over them another time, neither of them knowing what to say but also not knowing how to end the conversation without seeming inconsiderate. _Think, Mal... how does this go?_ She had no idea. What she wanted to do was close the door, but she knew that would be disrespectful to the boy; not that she cared much about being respectful to most people. However, Jay was different, she wanted to be his friend, she just didn't exactly know how to; it wasn't as simple as it had been with Carlos, or even with Evie – though she had been set on making that difficult at first.

            Clearing her throat, she gestured behind her. “You can come in, I'm sure she'll be up soon.”

            “That's okay,” Jay shook his head, glancing into the room behind her. “I'll just catch her after the game.”

            “The game? Didn't you guys play yesterday?” Mal questioned, unsure how sports worked.

            “Yeah, but we're in a tournament,” Jay explained, shifting on his feet as he pulled his hands from his pockets to check his beanie. _Why does he keep doing that?_ “We won the game yesterday, so we move ahead in the tournament.”

            “Okay,” Mal replied, still not completely understanding; _what's a tournament?_ However, she wasn't nearly interested enough to have the proper motivation to learn.

            This response brought a smile to Jay's face. “Are you coming to watch the game?”

            “Um... I don't... know?” Mal raised the last word with a question despite knowing she should be able to answer for herself. She didn't know if Evie still wanted to learn more about her powers considering they hadn't actually done anything yesterday, and she didn't want to commit to something if it would interrupt other plans. “I'll ask Evie if she has anything else planned for us today.”

            Jay arched his eyebrow, and Mal immediately disliked the knowing glint shining in his dark eyes.

            “No!” She shouted too loud as her hand shot forward as if she could stop him from thinking the way he was with the gesture. Glancing over her shoulder at the sleeping girl she lowered her voice. “No, it's not... that's _not_ what I meant.”

            Eyebrows lifting further, Jay held his hands up in surrender. “I didn't say anything. But if you say so.”

            “Come on, please...” Mal pleaded, last night slamming its way back into her mind, bringing the pain with it. “We're just friends. That's all.”

            “I'm sure Evie would _love_ to hear you say that,” Jay said sarcastically as he rolled his eyes.

            Mal's eyebrows knit together as she stared at him in curiosity, feeling as though he had been trying to tell her something through his tone. However, the only response she got from Jay before he disappeared down the hall without an explanation was a brief wave and a warning to not mention that in front of their friend. _What is wrong with that boy?_ She released a soft sigh as she closed the door slowly, her mind still working in attempt to decipher the tone he had laced his voice with. _Did he say that sarcastically? As in...? No, that can't be it._ But then the way Doug had watched them and glared at her when he had asked to speak with Evie alone flashed through her mind as if Jay had told her what that had been about. _Do people..._ she paused briefly in her thoughts and her movements as she moved further into the room, not quite capable of wrapping her mind around the idea enough to even consider it; _do people think Evie and I are together?_

            Not wanting to think about it, she shook the thought from her mind as she made her way back to her bed, only to find her legs stopping abruptly when she realized Evie was awake. At first, she thought she was only worried that the girl had heard her conversation with Jay, but when she took in Evie's current appearance she realized that it was more likely that she had frozen simply from looking at the princess. Dark-blue hair was tousled and red-brown eyes were hooded, both affects from sleeping, both appearances that stole air from Mal's body and left her breathless. _Oh my god, oh my god, oh my fucking god! She's so incredibly beautiful._ When the girl's mouth curved into a loving smile, Mal found herself unable to stop her gaze from flickering down to stare momentarily at those tempting lips as she wondered what it would feel like to have them against her own.

            Panic slammed into her when Evie sat up on the bed, stretching lightly, the knowing shine dancing in her eyes setting something off inside of her mind. It felt as though Evie could see everything going through her mind in that moment – in _every_ moment – and the idea had her chest constricting in shame when her thoughts from last night rose up to haunt her, especially when it dawned on her that it shouldn't have taken her this long to realize how horrible she had been.

            Inconsiderate was the proper word to describe how she had been acting, selfish another. The realization shot straight through her chest and pummeled her heart, causing her to avert her gaze from Evie's until she was staring out the window. She had thought it would be difficult to let the girl continue touching her because it would always remind her of the pain she felt from having read their situation wrong, but she realized now that it was more than that. Above everything else – above her pain from knowing she had been incorrect – she hated how she had complained that she deserved more, deserved to be happy for once. She was ashamed just thinking about it, and she wanted to rip her heart out for needing to look into the eyes of the person who brought the most into her life in order to realize this. She had _everything_ she could have ever wanted, she had _everyone_ she never thought she would have, it was enough to create an entire new world of pure delight, and yet she had forgotten it all because she wanted more.

            Something in the atmosphere shifted and she drug herself from her thoughts to look at the girl, somehow knowing she had been trying to get her attention. “Huh?”

            Evie laughed, eyes glowing. “I asked you what Jay wanted.”

            “Oh, that...” Mal trailed off, finding herself distracted by the girl's ruffled appearance again now that she had allowed herself to focus on her. _Fuck my life. What_ did _he want?_ She couldn't remember, so she lifted her shoulders in a shrug, receiving another laugh.

            _That laugh._ It made her feel lighter, caused her stomach to flip relentlessly in adoration. She looked away from the girl again, neck and cheeks heating in embarrassment. _I'm so sorry,_ Mal sighed in disappointment; _I'm so sorry for seeming ungrateful. I have more than I ever asked for, and I don't need anything else to be happy._ It was the truth, and she couldn't believe she hadn't remembered that last night; _thank you for everything. Thank you for Evie, thank you for Carlos, and Jay, and Ben._ She knew that she would always want Evie, but she also wanted the girl to find everything she deserved and be completely content with her life, and if she wasn't the person that could give her that feeling than she would do everything she could to get her to that point.

            Glancing back toward Evie she found her moving around the room in preparation for a shower, and her heart fluttered when red-brown caught sea-green through the mirror and the beautiful girl winked at her. Cheeks heating for a different reason this time, she watched as the girl elegantly approached the bathroom, her hand coming up to rest on the door-frame as she glanced over her shoulder briefly, allowing Mal to see the playful smile gracing her features before shutting the door. Evie had flipped everything around on her, making her feel like the prey for the first time in her life, making her feel like the minion being manipulated – and she wasn't used to that.

            Feeling as though she were locked in a trance, Mal found her way to her bed and turned so she was facing the bathroom, leaning her back against the pole and throwing her head into it with a sigh. _Stop teasing me, Evie._ Letting her eyelids cover her eyes she inhaled deeply in attempt to calm her mind and her body, the girl always seeming to have unlimited control over both; _how can someone make your life better while ruining it at the same time?_ She felt like she was losing control, and she didn't know how much more of the girl's constant teasing she could take, the mixed signals tiring her. Evie threw her mind into a frenzy and awakened her body in ways she didn't even know were possible, and the fire igniting inside her only continued to grow with each passing minute with no way for her to put it out.

            She didn't know if she could resist her overwhelming desires, but she would force herself to because she loved and respected Evie too much not to. Releasing a heavy breath she laughed lightly at the thought of trying to keep herself from reacting the way she did to the girl; _this is one hell of a ride you've got me on, Princess._

 

**_(Evie)_ **

A sudden pulse that had nothing to do with her necklace overwhelmed Evie's body, and though she knew within a few seconds that it wasn't nearly as terrible as the pain she had experienced from the crowned heart, it wasn't something she wanted to feel. It was a pain of its own, one mixed with bewilderment and wanting and rejection, and she already wanted an answer for the causation.

            Unlike other times, her emotions were written on her face with crystal clarity as she turned her head to the right, her gaze immediately falling to her own hand, the one she had wanted to be tangled with another. And she had tried, completely expecting to feel slightly worn skin gliding against her smooth skin, only the feeling had slipped away a second later, the girl shying away from her touch in a way she hadn't even done when they had been stuck in an endless loop of back and forth. When combat boots shuffled to the right, Evie brought her gaze to the girl's face in attempt to read her emotions, but she was only met with reddened cheeks and eyebrows drawn together in restrained sorrow, nothing that could explain why Mal would reject her touch. _What's going on, Mal? Tell me what's bothering you and I'll do anything to fix it._ But she felt she already knew the answer, she just didn't understand how it could shift the girl into a timid, cautious being; she had believed she had broken passed the barrier that kept distance between them.

            _This is because of last night._ She knew she shouldn't just assume that Mal was hurt or offended by the path the conversation from the night before had taken, but she wasn't an idiot; there was nothing else that could explain the girl's hesitation. The pain that had been visible in Mal's eyes when she had refused to be selfish had struck something deep inside Evie because she wanted to understand the girl, wanted to understand why she had been pushing so hard, wanted to know what she had been looking for. There had been a hidden meaning behind the girl's words, a meaning she hadn't been capable of finding before the conversation had reached an abrupt end because – when Mal had told her to be selfish – she had just snapped. It wasn't right, it just wasn't; the girl who had taken her unbearable pain for herself, the girl who had put herself into danger multiple times to protect her, the girl who had admitted openly that she would rather die than let anything harm her, that girl had no right to tell _her_ to be selfish. She was well aware that the words had come out far too harshly, but she couldn't take that back no matter how terrible she felt for snapping at the girl. If Mal was currently uncomfortable with her because she was unsure of what would happen after she had bit her, Evie understood. Mal wasn't well educated in how relationships worked, so she could see why the girl would be confused and hurt by the response she had gotten, but Evie still stood by her rash decision, and she wouldn't change what had happened even if she could. Nothing could have bloomed from that conversation. She couldn't give Mal what she wanted if she didn't even understand what that was other than her finally allowing her thoughts and feelings to explode from her, and that's not how she wanted to do it. Evie didn't want to let everything she had been holding in out simply because the moment was emotionally charged due to the events beforehand, she wanted to do it when there was no possibility of her feelings being confused for gratitude toward the girl who had saved her life, and she somehow knew it would have happened had she admitted just how deep her feelings for Mal go in that moment.

            A sudden cheer startled Evie from her thoughts, and she tore her gaze from Mal to look at the field to figure out what had happened to cause such an approving uproar. However, the game was too far ahead of her at that time, so she just assumed the Fighting Knights had scored again considering the cheer had occurred around her instead of across the field where the supporters of the opposing team sat. Usually, her attention was focused on the game and cheering on her friends, but it didn't take long before her gaze was sliding back to study the girl standing next to her.

            Mal's cheeks had lost the red tint, but her eyes still held confusion and sorrow as she stared into the distance, the coating over her eyes letting Evie know that she couldn't see the game despite her gaze being locked on the middle of the field. _She's distant,_ Evie noticed, pulling her bottom lip into her mouth while contemplating whether she should say something. _She's struggling with something. I should ask her if she's okay._ But something tugged on her mind, warning her that the girl didn't want to talk about the things going through her head, and though she didn't understand why she got these feelings she listened to it. _I'll ask her about it later,_ she decided; _after she's had time to think over it herself._ She didn't want to be intrusive, especially not after snapping at the girl for prying too deep, and so she reminded herself that she didn't need to know everything Mal felt immediately. _Let her come to you. If she trusts you, she will_.

            “Are you serious?”

            In any other situation, Evie would ignore the accusatory voice, knowing it wasn't directed toward her, however, she recognized that voice and immediately knew that it was, in fact, meant to get her attention. Releasing a heavy sigh, she turned to the side Mal wasn't on to face Audrey, noting how the girl seemed more insolent than usual. _That's just what I needed,_ Evie fought the urge to roll her eyes at the princess before she could even explain what she was accusing her of; _I'm not in the mood for this._ To be honest, she never was, and if there was anyone out there who could constantly deal with this kind of behavior without getting irritated, she envied them.

            “Yes, Audrey?” Evie forced a friendly smile onto her face, trying to get under the girl's skin by appearing unfazed.

            “And you're pretending like you don't even know,” Audrey scoffed, throwing her hands into the air. “I can't believe you!”

            “Well, go on, tell me what it is I did this time,” Evie sighed again as she shook her head, shifting her attention to the field.

            “Stop pretending, Evie, you know very well what you did,” Audrey argued, eyes narrowing as her hands came to rest on her hips. “What did you say to him? Are you really so jealous that you can't leave two people in love alone?”

            That caught Evie's attention, and she returned her gaze to Audrey while her eyebrows reached toward each other in confusion. _What is she going on about?_ Usually, she had some idea of what had irked Audrey, but she had no clue what it was this time, especially not after the girl's questions.

            “I really don't know what you're talking about,” Evie tried to explain despite knowing the princess wouldn't believe her.

            Audrey let out a dry laugh, and Evie felt an unexpected warmth radiating from behind her just before a small body brushed against her back, the laugh that lacked amusement seemingly catching Mal's attention and causing her to watch silently. The girl's touch calmed her, and she suddenly felt as though she could deal with anything that was thrown at her.

            “ _What_ did you say to Jay?” Audrey demanded an answer Evie didn't have.

            “You're going to have to be a bit more specific,” Evie replied calmly, fighting the urge to reach back and grab Mal's hand for further comfort, unsure whether the girl would let her. “I say a lot of things to Jay.”

            “He broke up with me last night, and I _know_ it had something to do with what you said to him at the dance,” Audrey seethed, looking as though she were about to throw a punch; something Evie had never been afraid of until now. “You just couldn't leave us alone, could you? Was it truly too hard for you to see us together because you want him for yourself? Your little lie about Carlos was a good way to keep me from being mad at you for a while, but it won't work any longer.”

            Evie couldn't help but laugh lightly, her gaze dropping to the ground for a moment as a small smile curved her lips upward. “I promise you,” she started, bringing her eyes back up to lock with Audrey's. “If I liked Jay, he would have _never_ been interested in _you_.”

            “You _bitch!_ ”

            It happened faster than Evie could properly register; Audrey's manicured hand was swinging toward her to land a blow somewhere Evie couldn't tell, but a paler hand shot forward before the princess' hand could even get within a foot of her. Before she knew it, an arm had pushed her away from Audrey and the pink princess was in Mal's grasp, her arm twisted behind her in a way that looked unbelievably painful.

            “What the fuck did you just call her?” Mal growled, her jaw clenched and her eyes burning with a fury Evie had never seen before.

            Everyone on the bleachers around them turned to watch the disastrous scene unfolding in front of Evie, but the blue-haired girl was completely frozen in shock, not even knowing what was happening, let alone how to go about stopping it. Hands came up to grab hold of her shoulders, but she didn't react to Lonnie's touch, unable to focus on anything other than the two girls in front of her.

            “Are you insane?” Audrey shouted, terror lacing her voice.

            That had been the wrong thing to say, and everyone knew it because, with a swift movement, Mal had her fingers clasped around the front of Audrey's shirt instead, her eyes flashing with an unusual green as she leaned intimidatingly into the princess' personal space. Evie couldn't help but gasp while Mal executed the graceful movement, her eyes widening when Audrey grabbed hold of Mal's arms in a weak attempt to pry the vicious girl off of her.

            “I could ask you the same damn thing,” Mal hissed, the unnatural calm in her voice contradicting the wicked look present in her eyes. “Now you're going to listen to me, and you're going to listen closely if you're intelligent. Never, and I mean _never_ , try to lay a hand on Evie again, and _never_ let that word come out of your mouth to describe her. Do you understand?”

            Audrey's gaze met Evie's. “Don't just stand there! Get your little pet off of me!”

            Seeming to snap out of her trance, Evie took a step forward, prepared to actually do as Audrey said for once, however, no matter how quickly she moved she wouldn't have been able to stop Mal from kicking the terrified girl's legs out from under her and slamming her into the metal bleachers.

            “Do you fucking understand me?” Mal's voice was full of rage, a rage that surprised Evie but didn't scare her.

            “Mal,” Evie breathed out softly, bringing her hand down to rest on Mal's shoulder. “Let her go.”

            Flashing green eyes raised to meet red-brown, and Evie watched as the danger quickly dissipated and returned them to their beautiful sea-green. She slid her hand over Mal's shoulders, letting her thumb rub soothing circles into the back of her neck as she curled her fingers around to reach the girl's collarbone. Eyes softening, Mal nodded the slightest bit, releasing her hold on Audrey and standing, turning her back on the girl and beginning to make her way down the bleachers, away from all of them.

            “You're not the most insane after all,” Audrey said after accepting help in getting back to her feet.

            Evie ignored her, pushing through the crowd in pursuit of Mal.

            “I'm happy for you,” Audrey called after her, clearly not finished despite having been attacked. “Looks like you finally found someone who makes you look like less of a screw-up.”

            Eyes still trained on the girl walking away from the scene, Evie saw the muscles tensing throughout Mal's entire body before she snapped again, turning around and making her way back up the stands, the look darkening her eyes letting Evie know that what she was about to do to Audrey would make what she had done to those agents seem almost playful. Knowing she couldn't allow that to happen, Evie stepped directly into Mal's path, finding that she had to slide her arms around the girl's body tightly when she only went to step around her.

            “Mal, please,” Evie pleaded, holding onto the girl as tightly as she could, well aware that she wasn't strong enough to keep her from doing what she wanted. “She's not worth it.”

            “Daughter of a hero,” Mal scoffed sarcastically, pushing against Evie. “I'll rip your fucking throat out!”

            “Mal,” Evie breathed out against the girl's ear as she struggled against her. “Calm down.”

            Lonnie appeared beside them, prepared to help restrain Mal, however, Evie only shook her head at the girl as Ben appeared at the bottom of the bleachers, his eyebrows knit in confusion under the mask he wore for the game that had been interrupted by the entire scene. Chancing the brief moment Mal would be liberated, Evie let go of the girl and brought her hands up to grab hold of Mal's cheeks, bringing their foreheads together so she couldn't catch sight of Audrey again.

            “Please listen to me, M,” Evie whispered, looking directly into sea-green eyes. “She's not worth it. Let it go.”

            Mal shut her eyes, breathing deeply as she nodded gently against Evie's head.

            “I don't like the way she treated you,” Mal replied in a quiet voice, her hands coming up for her fingers to dig lightly into Evie's hips.

            “I know,” Evie spoke affectionately, the corners of her mouth curving into a small smile at the girl's words. “But you can't just obliterate her.”

            “I wouldn't say I was going to _obliterate_ her,” Mal laughed lightly, exhaling heavily as she calmed down even more.

            Evie resisted the shiver that wanted to make its way down her spine due to the feeling of the girl's hot breath dancing over her lips, trying to focus on something other than the way Mal's close proximity excited both her mind and body. _Calm yourself, Evie._ But it was difficult with the girl's lips inches away from her own. However, when she remembered where they were she immediately pulled away, letting her hands fall to Mal's forearms as she glanced around at the people surrounding them.

            The first person she saw was Ben, the realization and slight pain coating his eyes setting something off inside of her chest, and she turned away from him, unable to continue looking. Lonnie, however, was smiling adoringly at both of them; but it wasn't enough to paint over the rest of the crowd. Nearly everyone was watching them now since the game had been paused, and she didn't have to look at each individual for long to figure out that the looks they were receiving were limited; confusion, shock, and disgust.

            The judgmental looks pierced straight into her chest, and she let go of Mal completely, stepping away from her as she averted her gaze to the ground. She looked back up when the hands gripping her waist disappeared, only to find another dagger finding its way into her heart when she saw the pain that buried every other emotion in sea-green eyes.

            “I understand,” Mal whispered brokenly.

            Before Evie could even open her mouth to ask what the girl meant, Mal had descended the bleachers and began the journey toward the woods, her gaze locked on the ground as she walked away from everyone; as she walked away from Evie.


	38. Chapter 38

**_(Mal)_ **

Reeling her arm back, Mal let the tennis ball fly from her hand and into the air, watching with a wide smile on her face as Dude let out a single bark before chasing after the ball ecstatically. The sound of her own laugh filled the air as the dog struggled to collect the ball as it bounced wildly over the uneven grass, and she found a deeper laugh joining in soon after.

            “He's never been the most coordinated dog,” Carlos stated as he stepped up by her side, crossing his arms over his chest as they both watched Dude continue his struggle.

            “I can't imagine the state of this field helps much,” Mal shrugged, smiling when Dude finally got hold of the ball. “Considering everything else in Auradon seems anally perfect, you'd think the field would be completely even and the grass neatly trimmed.”

            “I'm surprised there isn't a design cut into the grass,” Carlos replied with a shrug of his own, his brown eyes lighting up with amusement when another laugh escaped Mal's lips. “Would you be surprised?”

            Mal shook her head after considering it for only a brief second. “Not really, no. I think the only question is: would it be of the school crest, or Beast's face?”

            Carlos' head tilted back with his laughter. “That's a great question. Probably Beast's face, though. He's always seemed pretty fond of himself.”

            “That would be _really_ creepy,” Mal laughed, crouching down to scratch Dude's ears when he returned to drop the ball proudly at her feet. “Can you imagine? Beast's face smiling out at you with a ridiculous thumbs up, reminding us to 'do good'.”

            “Sounds like every day on the Isle,” Carlos announced, leaning down to grab the ball.

            Dude hopped around delightedly, jumping up Carlos' leg before taking off without the ball needing to be thrown. Mal arched her eyebrow as she looked up at Carlos, and the boy just shrugged, a crooked smile gracing his features as he took off after his dog. Shaking her head in amusement, Mal lowered herself to the ground, stretching her legs out in front of her as she watched Carlos and Dude chase each other, finding the sight comical.

            She couldn't help but laugh as she watched the two running around the field, and she found herself wondering why she had waited so long to spend more time with Carlos, the boy easily being her best friend – if she were to use the term she heard often from people in Auradon. However, when the last thing he said fully registered in her mind her laugh fell short as her mind started working more than it probably should. _Sounds like every day on the Isle._ She had never really thought about how Carlos' life had been on the Isle, and now she found herself wondering how the boy had fared before ending up in Auradon. Recalling everything he had told her about his mother the first time they had truly conversed, she figured it hadn't been the best life as Cruella de Vil's son, and it only took a moment of thinking about it for her to realize that Carlos had been treated like a dog by his mother. _We have another thing in common, then,_ she thought with a dry laugh. That wasn't the thing Mal wanted the boy to have in common with her, and she wished he could have had a better childhood because he deserved more than what his mother had given him; but it didn't matter anymore anyway because the Isle was in his past, he was in Auradon's luxury now. _Is it truly luxury, though?_ She might never know. There were great things about Auradon, but there also seemed to be just as many terrible aspects between the arrogant princes and princesses, the distaste for anything differing from the stories told, and the expectations.

            The last one was the most challenging, Mal found, because all the closed minds made her feel as though she wasn't allowed to find and be herself if who she was didn't fit into Auradon's high expectations. Everyone was supposed to be good, supposed to be a hero, _she_ was supposed to be good, but she knew it was something she simply couldn't do, not every moment of every day. She enjoyed doing things that Auradon frowned upon, she couldn't stop her anger from taking over her sometimes, and she certainly couldn't force herself to be interested in things she wasn't. The extent of the rules she broke varied, going anywhere from finding interest in her own gender to killing people, and she couldn't change any of it, yet Auradon would press her until she did.

            Everyone was expected to be a perfect mold of their parents, and everyone played so perfectly into that expectation that it made Mal wonder if people could truly differ from those that raised them, or if they were trapped for life. _Maybe that's why I can't be good,_ she thought, the idea that she was exactly like her mother finding its way back into the front of her mind. Even if she did something good, there was always something evil slid into it as well, almost as if she couldn't fully be one or the other, like she was cursed to be hopelessly stuck between the two.

            “Man, I swear Dude never tires,” Carlos huffed as he dropped to the ground next to her, laying down on the grass as he breathed heavily in attempt to regain steady breathing.

            She opened her mouth to respond, but found something else entirely finding its way from her mouth. “Do you think we can be different than our parents?”

            Seeming to sense the sincerity to her question, Carlos sat up, bracing his weight on his arms as he crossed his legs in front of both of their bodies. Brown eyes studied her carefully, but she kept her gaze on Dude as he continued running around the field without his owner, not ready to see what emotion ran through his eyes.

            “At his coronation, Ben told us that our parents had made their choice to be evil, and that we got to make our own, that our parents' choices didn't affect what was in our hearts unless we let them,” Carlos recalled the memory, and Mal could tell that it had been the moment that had changed everything for them. “I believe we get to make our own choices in who we want to be, and I don't think who our parents are changes that. Not even if that parent is the Mistress of All Evil.”

            Mal's chest tightened in panic at the last piece, the air disappearing from her lungs and her heart leaping into her throat with the knowledge that Carlos knew who her mother was. _It can't just be a coincidence that he mentioned Maleficent specifically. There's no way._ But everything inside her prayed that it had been nothing more than a coincidence, that Carlos had only mentioned her because she was the worst villain of all. However, she wasn't stupid enough to convince herself it was the truth.

            “How long?” Mal choked out, the two words making up the hardest question she had ever had to ask.

            Carlos merely shrugged. “A while.”

            Feeling as though her world was crashing down around her she pulled her knees to her chest and hugged them tightly, resting her chin on top of them as she stared out into the distance without really seeing what was in front of her. _Who else knows?_ She worried that everyone did, that it was the reason they had all watched her with caution as she joined the gathering crowd for the tourney game that afternoon, that it was why nobody had been surprised when she had lashed out on the pink princess. And this time – with no other worry to distract her – she felt her eyes filling with tears as the feeling overwhelmed her, making it impossible for her to believe anything else. _I'm just as bad as my mother._ She didn't want to feel this way, but there seemed to be nothing she could say to herself to talk herself out of believing it. _I'm a monster._

            “Hey,” Carlos' gentle voice broke through her mind, his touch dragging her further into reality as his hand came to rest on her lower-back. “If your mother being Maleficent changed anything I would have stopped hanging out with you a long time ago. I know what you're going through, okay, and you _are not_ your mother, don't let her choices control your own.”

            Closing her eyes and letting Carlos' words echo through her mind, Mal inhaled deeply, finding that the tears didn't fall, the comfort of the boy's touch keeping her anchored to the world. _Don't let her choices control your own._ No, she wouldn't, she would make her own choices without worrying what was good and what was evil because those things didn't matter to her. _Good and evil are only ideas that are meant to control people, to make those who don't always make the right choices feel like less than those who strive for the greater good._ None of it mattered. She had managed to make incredible friends despite not fitting perfectly into one side of the spectrum, and she didn't regret that she didn't fit. The day she gave into the expectations and stereotypes of Auradon would be the day she had truly lost herself. She knew she wasn't the best person, but she also knew she wasn't the worst, and it was only just now that she realized that she wouldn't change anything about herself to please others; it was only just now that Mal realized that she liked who she was. She wasn't going to pretend she was a hero when she wasn't; she wasn't going to act like a villain when she wasn't; she wasn't going to pretend to be interested in boys when it was Evie she wanted; she wasn't going to pretend she had perfect control over herself when no one truly did. She wasn't going to pretend she was the things she wasn't simply because Auradon didn't understand that not everyone could be crammed into an overlying characterization.

            Before she could tell herself that it was a terrible idea, Mal pulled out of the ball she had curled herself into and wrapped her arms around Carlos instead, pulling the boy closer to her when she felt his strong arms find their way around her waist hesitantly. When Carlos laughed awkwardly, Mal couldn't help but smile at the sound, realizing that she was hugging people too often lately; and Carlos seemed to realize the same thing.

            “Where did this come from?” Carlos questioned playfully, letting his chin rest on Mal's shoulder. “You weren't this affectionate when we first met. What did Evie do to you, girl?”

            With the mention of the blue-haired princess, Mal's body stiffened where it usually relaxed, and she quickly pulled away from the boy, attempting to shut that part of her mind off before it could overwhelm her. “I don't know.”

            She hadn't thought about Evie since she had knocked on Carlos' door for a distraction, but now that the boy had mentioned her she couldn't stop the beautiful girl from invading her mind, the pain from the realization she had made this afternoon returning as well. The fear and horror mixing in red-brown eyes after Evie had seen that everyone was watching them was stuck in Mal's mind, it didn't matter how hard she tried to forget, it was there to haunt her memory. _She didn't reject me because she doesn't feel the same,_ Mal thought, the realization returning to her; _she rejected me because she doesn't want the judgment that will follow us being together._ She wished she hadn't figured that out. She hoped she was wrong, hoped that the girl truly did think of her as nothing more than a friend, because the pain that came from feeling as though Evie was ashamed to be seen with her was far worse than what she had felt from believing the girl just didn't share her feelings.

            “What happened between you two?”

            Mal finally met brown eyes, finding curiosity and confusion pulsing through them, the question one he truly wanted the answer to. She didn't know if she could answer his question, though, didn't know if the way she felt was valid, or if she was overreacting simply because everything involving this topic never seemed to end in her favor. But she trusted Carlos and knew that she could get answers from him as well about everything that was going on, however, she didn't know how to begin.

            “It's complicated,” Mal stated, her voice quieter than she had meant it to be.

            “All relationships are complicated,” Carlos replied, pushing for more despite clearly not wanting to pass any boundaries. “The stories are wrong, it's not a smooth slide. It's going to be messy, it's going to require struggle and fighting.”

            “I would do anything for her, Carlos. She's just _so_ amazing. She's intelligent, she's compassionate, she's beautiful, she's just...” Mal sighed heavily, placing her elbows on her knees and brushing her fingers through her hair in attempt to calm herself down. “But it doesn't matter, she doesn't seem to feel the same.”

            “What makes you think that?” Carlos asked curiously, expression a cross between worry and delight.

            “The way she reacted today when she saw the way everyone was looking at us,” Mal explained, red-brown eyes full of fear flashing through her mind again. “She was horrified. She was afraid that everyone would judge her more than they already do.” Mal sighed again, preparing to admit more than she ever had to anyone else. “I can't be with her if she's ashamed of being seen with me, it just hurts too much. I've never felt this way before, and I don't want to hide it from anyone, but I don't want to pressure her into doing something she's not ready for. I... I respect her too much to do that to her.”

            A small smile tugged at the corners of Carlos' lips. “Are you sure respect is the _only_ thing?”

            _No, there's a lot more to it than just my respect for who she is._ Releasing her hair, she straightened her shoulders with confidence and tilted her head back until she was staring at the clear blue sky above. And finally, the words that had been itching at the back of her throat for longer than she could remember found their way from her lips as she confessed everything to Carlos, to the world.

            “I'm in love with her, Carlos. I am so helplessly in love with Evie.”


	39. Chapter 39

**_(Evie)_ **

The pale hand flattened against the smooth surface of the table shouldn't coax overwhelming feelings from her, but as red-brown eyes watched the way fingertips shifted slightly with a tapping motion, Evie couldn't help but feel as though Mal was taunting her, challenging her even. She wanted to take the girl's hand in her own, but when her left hand slid over the table she found herself stilling the movement as her gaze rose to scan the rest of the students occupying the room. _Why are they so important to me all of the sudden?_ She groaned, well aware that sea-green eyes were watching as she pulled her hand into her lap. _I should be able to just grab her hand!_ Her new inability to show her affection toward Mal publicly was frustrating her, but she couldn't seem to get over whatever was subconsciously berating her for wanting something as simple as holding the girl's hand.

            She had been so worried about why Mal had been avoiding her touch recently that she hadn't stopped long enough to wonder if there was something buried inside herself as well, but now she couldn't keep her mind from searching for something, _anything_ , that could have caused her to become uncomfortable with the girl. No matter how hard she pried into her own mind, she couldn't seem to find what had made her step from Mal's hold at the tourney game. _I understand;_ that's what Mal had said before walking away from her, the pain visible in her eyes with perfect clarity. She groaned again. _That's great. I just wish_ I _understood my own actions._

            Approaching the girl later that night hadn't been much better, and questioning her about why she had moved her hand from her grasp had only resulted in an evasive response. _I don't think_ I'm _the one avoiding things, E._ Evie figured she hadn't deserved a straightforward response, not after she had danced around the girl's question the night before, but she was growing tired of this sudden back-and-forth between them. She had asked if it was alright if she slept with her again – a request Mal hadn't refused – and for the night it had felt as though a rift hadn't been formed between them, but the hesitation had started back up again in the morning; only this time, it wasn't only from Mal.

            And now Evie found herself coming to the realization that this wasn't Mal's fault; it was her own fault. She knew what she had done, she just didn't know _why_ she had done it, and she was desperate to figure it out. Despite having recognized that she had been the cause of this small separation, she knew they were both responsible for breaking passed this new barrier and figuring out their issues, and it frustrated her that Mal seemed just as baffled as her. _It shouldn't be this difficult._ At least, she didn't feel like it should be as challenging as it proved to be to find her way back to the girl; it was only then that she realized she was just as inexperienced as Mal in this situation. She had never loved someone before, and she had certainly never felt as though she could give up everything for one person and still be content with life simply because she was with them. It was just dawning on her that Mal's hesitation could simply be because of how much confidence Evie had exuded when it came to their unusual friendship, that the girl could possibly be worried that she would be judged for her obvious inexperience. Evie certainly understood being worried about how others would perceive her actions and true desires.

            Something tugged on Evie's mind as if it were trying to lure her toward something, but in her attempt to catch onto the direction she lost track of it due to the piercing sound of the bell. She started, her pencil falling from her grasp as her cheeks heated in embarrassment from having been so lost in her thoughts that the school bell had frightened her. She made a move to retrieve her pencil, but before she could even get out of her chair Mal had it loosely held between her fingers, her hand extended toward her to offer the object to her. _She's still sweet,_ she noted, a smile curving her lips upward as she averted her gaze in embarrassment; _nothing will ever change that._

            “Thank you,” Evie mouthed graciously, taking the pencil from the girl's grip without meeting her gaze.

            “You know, you're pretty clumsy for a graceful princess,” Mal spoke up, a mischievous glint lighting her eyes.

            Evie scoffed playfully. “Take that back.”

            “Sorry, but I can't,” Mal shrugged, leaning against the front of the table. “It's the truth.”

            “It's astounding how rude you are to me,” Evie stuck her lower lip out in a pout, noting the way sea-green eyes flickered down to watch the movement.

            “Ah, right, I forgot,” Mal began, one corner of her mouth lifting into a teasing smirk. “Pampered princesses don't like to hear the truth.”

            “Another thing you forgot,” Evie paused briefly to build the girl's curiosity, taking the time to finally begin gathering her things, stacking her textbook and journals so she could carry them. She stood and lowered her voice to a whisper for added effect. “I'm still not a princess.”

            “You're forgetting something as well, Princess,” Mal pointed out, reaching forward to take the items from Evie's grasp. “You'll always be a princess to me.”

            Mal's eyes were glowing with affection, and Evie found her heart fluttering pleasurably and her mind searching frantically for a response. _Come on, Evie, say something just as clever!_ She had no idea when she had become the fumbling mess, but when she saw the adorable smile gracing the girl's features she decided she didn't care.

            Accepting her failure, she held her hands out. “Can I have my books back?”

            “Nope,” Mal shook her head, beginning to walk toward the door.

            _She's carrying my books again._ Once again, her heart fluttered in pure delight due to the gesture, and she grabbed her bag before following after the girl. However, just as she caught up with the girl in the hallway her steps slowed, the smile fading from her face when she heard something she probably wasn't meant to.

            “Do you see that? Those two are always acting like a couple, it's disgusting.”

            The realization crashed into her harder than any other, the force behind it relentless in the way it tore her apart. _I pulled away from her because I was afraid of what others would think if I didn't._ She couldn't believe herself. Even after everything she had been through, after every moment she had told herself she no longer cared what others thought of her as long as she was happy with her life, she had sunk the one relationship that gave her nothing but pure joy into the depths of the ocean because she feared the way people would view her if she dared to be with a girl. _Am I really so worried about my reputation that I can't allow myself to be truly happy? Am I really so caught up in myself that I'm more okay with hurting the girl I love to keep others from finding me disgusting?_   She had never despised herself more than she did in that moment, the idea that she still possessed any amount of internal homophobia making her want to suffocate herself. She couldn't stand the knowledge that her mother still had that strong of a hold on her, all of the woman's homophobic warnings holding onto Evie's mind with every ounce of strength they still had inside of them.

            _What am I going to do?_ Evie was at a complete loss as she pushed herself on, forcing her legs to carry her in the direction of her locker as she tried to ignore the people lingering in the hallway around her. _Please,_ she pleaded with the universe; _please tell me I haven't ruined everything with Mal._ Now that she knew why she had pushed the girl away when she couldn't have gotten any closer, none of the judgmental looks they received as they passed escaped her notice, however, instead of focusing on them she thought of varying ways to make it up to the girl walking beside her.

            When they finally reached her locker, she reached up to put in the combination as Mal leaned against the lockers beside her, books still in her hands, gaze taking in everyone Evie had already glanced at. It was obvious that Mal had noticed her wandering gaze, and Evie prepared herself to tell the girl that she didn't care about anyone else, but found herself unable to when Mal spoke first.

            “Do you want to know why I always try so hard to disappoint people?”

            Evie's chest constricted with the question because she somehow knew the answer would shatter everything inside of her, and she wasn't ready for it; she didn't think she would ever be ready.

            “It's because I don't know how to do anything else,” Mal confessed, her voice thick with pain and overwhelming emotion. “You asked me to tell you why I was so against being your friend. It's because you're the first person to actually make me _feel_ something, the first person to make me question everything I believed because of my mother.” Taking a deep breath, she raised her gaze to lock with Evie's before continuing. “I hated that. I _feared_ that. I never needed anyone after the night my mother left, and then suddenly you came and changed _everything,_ you changed _me._ I wouldn't have been able to find my way to who I truly am without you. I need you, Evie, I've needed you my entire life.” Mal's voice was close to breaking, her words unsteady and her confidence wavering as she averted her gaze to the section of the ground between them. “And that terrified me. It terrified me because I didn't want to do anything wrong. I didn't want to disappoint you, too.”

            _Terrif_ ied, Evie noted; _it doesn't terrify her anymore._

            She wanted to tell the girl that she had never disappointed her, that she never would because she was so much more than what she believed herself to be, but just when she believed the girl had finished, she took another deep breath and continued.

            “I was terrified of everything. I was terrified of living,” Mal whispered, sea-green eyes showing nothing but sincerity and love when they flickered back to red-brown. “Until you, Evie.”

            She had heard it all, everything written between the lines, everything they were both afraid to admit out loud to each other. She had heard it in the way she spoke, seen it in her eyes, and it sent her mind into a blissful trance. _She loves me. Mal is in love with me._ It was all crashing into her at a speed that made her unsure of what to do; she wanted to laugh in relief, she wanted to cry, she wanted to scream with joy, she wanted to do everything that came to mind, even if it was only there for a second. However, before her brain could relay anything to her body, Mal was handing her books back and walking away from her, the shocked expression that had taken over Evie's features clearly doing the opposite of reassuring the girl.

            “Mal, wait!” Evie called after her, fumbling with the books. _Please, don't leave me._

            It was then that Evie realized Mal had figured everything out before she had, that the girl had known that Evie was terrified of how people would react to them being together; that Mal still thought that. _I understand._ It all made sense now. The idea of the girl thinking she was ashamed to be seen with her publicly punched a hole through her chest, making space for the force that now crushed her heart into dust with the knowledge that Mal thought she didn't love her enough to express those emotions to their peers; but that wasn't the truth. No, Evie would gladly shout it until the whole world had heard the name of the girl she loved a million times, she just needed to prove that she would.

            Mal had been right; she shouldn't hold back on so much for fear of what others would think, or for fear of being too forceful, especially when Mal couldn't make it more clear that it was what she wanted, too. She shouldn't trample her feelings to the point where everything hurt both physically and emotionally, then get after the girl for being too selfless. She should have seen it all sooner, _accepted_ it sooner, but part of her had struggled to understand that she deserved her happily ever after just like everyone else. But now, she had no doubt, and she would give everything to finally know the feeling of belonging to Mal. _You've hurt her enough, Evie. You've hurt_ yourself _enough._ She hated what she had done to the girl that night, how she had made her start questioning herself before every touch, how she had made her nervous around her; she hated what she had done to herself, how she had swallowed every emotion, every feeling, because she had thought it would be the best thing for Mal. Now, it was obvious that it was hurting Mal just as much, and she couldn't, she _wouldn't_ , allow the girl to keep hurting because of her idiocy.

            Taking a deep, calming breath, Evie followed after Mal, ready to give her everything. _Everyone deserves to be happy. Everyone deserves to be selfish. It doesn't matter what, or who, gives them that highest level of joy, it only matters that you don't let that get away from you for some idiotic reason._ And she found nothing but surety as she kept her gaze locked on the dragon embroidered into a leather jacket, every subconscious fear she had previously possessed of being judged for wanting who she did completely lost somewhere they would never be found again. _I'm done caring about what close-minded people think. I'm done shaping my life around normalcy to please them. I'm going to do what_ I _want, and_ nothing _is going to stop me from being happy._

            She called out the girl's name again, but Mal was too far ahead, and so she lengthened her strides, using her long legs to her advantage as she readjusted the books in her hands so they wouldn't slip from her grasp. _Please, Mal, please stop._ Watching the girl turn into the dorm building she increased her pace again, not wanting the girl to throw herself into a conversation with anyone else in attempt to avoid her; which she was decently talented at. _No,_ she shook her head as she used her elbow to push open the dorm building's front doors; _you're not getting away from me that easily this time._

            “Mal!” Evie called out again, this time knowing the girl could hear her. “Stop right there!”

            Mal's steps faltered until she came to a stop, and everyone else turned their attention to Evie with curiosity due to how loud she had shouted to get the purple-haired girl's attention. _Who cares if they watch us like we're a television program._ They were going to get quite the show. Letting the books in her hands clatter against the ground, Evie pulled the strap of her bag off her shoulder until it dropped behind her, her quick steps keeping the item from landing by her feet and tripping her. At the sound, Mal turned around to face her, but Evie didn't slow her steps even the slightest as she closed the remaining distance between herself and the girl she loved.

            Her hands lifted to slide over pale cheeks and her body collided with a smaller one as she finally allowed herself to accept her fairy-tale ending with little concern that everyone in the lobby now watched her. And the spark that had been dancing inside of her since the beginning rose to an intensity that had it immediately liberating itself from her body to set fire to the entire world.

            The same world that disappeared the very second her lips met Mal's.

            Several gasps sounded around them, but she couldn't place their source, and she didn't care to figure it out either. She was lost in everything about Mal; the feeling of her body pressing against her, the feeling of her plump lips working passionately against her own, the feeling of her hands as they splayed over her lower-back. Everything in Evie's world right now revolved around Mal, her every sense pleasurably overwhelmed by the girl. And, more than okay with losing herself in Mal, she slid her hands to the back of the girl's neck and pressed her closer, completely ignoring their surroundings as she deepened the kiss.

 

**_(Mal)_ **

With the world spinning around her and the ground seemingly slipping from beneath her feet, Mal gathered the material of a dark-blue shirt in her fingers, using the tight grip to keep herself anchored as irresistible lips parted for a deepened kiss that breathed life into her. She had known how to live before, but not with such intense thrills, the feeling of Evie's lips commanding her own filling every empty space her life had possessed and making her feel as though it would be impossible to find anything else missing; she already had it all. It was all there, she could feel it in the way Evie kissed her; the desire, the passion, the love, the lust. She could feel everything Evie felt for her, could sense every way the girl wanted her, and it mirrored the feelings coursing through her own veins.

            It was every ounce of emotion she had ever felt broiling between them merging to create one overarching and overwhelming feeling, a feeling she didn't entirely understand, but one she attached to the princess that never ceased to astound her.

            The pressure pushing on the nape of her neck disappeared, and a hand dropped to slip under the back of her jacket for long, slender fingers to hook around her belt, the other coming around to caress the underside of her jawbone. When the hold on the back of her belt tugged her lower-body until she was pressed firmly against the intoxicating girl in front of her she gasped, head spinning with the intensity in which Evie kissed and held her. _We should..._ but her thoughts were challenged by the blissful state she had been consumed by. She knew they should stop because of the people that were more than likely still watching, but everything inside of her yearned for more contact, for more of Evie.

            Logic found its way into her, along with a timid state of mind that was caused by the knowledge that they were being watched, and so she fought against herself and pulled away from Evie, disconnecting their lips. At first – if the fingers digging into the skin of her neck were any indication – it seemed as though Evie would just pull her back in, however, she seemed to think better of locking her back in and settled for resting their foreheads together instead.

            “Hi,” Mal breathed out, immediately wishing she hadn't said anything at all. _Good going, Mal._

            “Hi?” Evie questioned with an adorable giggle, her hot breath dancing over Mal's lips. “That's all you have to say?”

            Mal's heart fluttered at the sound. “I'm sorry it took us this long to try that.”

            “I'm sorry, too. And I'm sorry for being scared,” Evie whispered, catching her own bottom lip in her teeth as she slid her nose along the length of Mal's. “Mal, I'm in love with you. And I'm not ashamed of that.”

            The confession created a flurry of emotions she had never experienced before, making her feel more relaxed and secure than she ever had in the past. _She's in love with me. Evie is in love with me. And she's not afraid to let everyone know._ She didn't know if she had been incorrect in her realization, or if the princess had settled her fears and decided she no longer cared what the people of Auradon thought, but it didn't matter; it didn't matter even in the smallest way.

            “I think I'm in love with you, too,” Mal replied with a radiant, teasing smile gracing her features.

            When her favorite laugh sounded through the room she knew she had gotten the reaction she had wanted, and when hands gripped her shoulders to playfully shove her away she couldn't help but join in the laughter.

_Evie is in love with me. I'm in love with Evie._

            That was all that mattered.


	40. Chapter 40

**_(Evie)_ **

The atmosphere had shifted around Evie and Mal, and it almost seemed as though – with everything out in the open – it was impossible to keep any amount of distance between them, and surprisingly, it had been Mal to initiate the next show of affection; the one that seemed to set everything off.

            After about an hour of homework, Jay and Carlos had come to their door and asked if they had wanted to go out for dinner with a group of friends, and they had both agreed. When they had arrived at the outdoor restaurant, Lonnie and Chad had been waiting for them, and Evie had taken the seat next to her best friend, smiling when Mal had easily dropped into the chair on her other side. However, Jane had arrived later with an apology about her mother keeping her, making them a chair short.

            Evie stood immediately, well aware that Jane was the most comfortable with Lonnie and figuring the younger girl would wish to sit with her. “Here, take my seat.”

            “Oh, no. That's unnecessary,” Jane mumbled under her breath, making it obvious that she was uncomfortable with the kind offer.

            “Come on, Jane. I can grab a chair from another table,” Evie insisted, wanting the girl to feel welcome at the group dinner.

            “Shouldn't you boys be offering _your_ seats?” Lonnie teased the three boys sitting around the table. “Honestly, are none of you gentlemen?”

            “I'm no gentleman,” Jay smiled mischievously as he slung his arm over the back of his chair and leaned back. “I'm a thief.”

            “You _used to be_ a thief,” Carlos corrected before bringing his gaze up to meet Jane's. “You can have my seat if you want, I just figured I'm the only one who can tolerate this one enough to sit with him.”

            At that, Jay reached over casually and shoved Carlos off of his chair, causing all three of the boys to burst out in laughter while Evie shook her head, sharing a look with Lonnie. Stepping around the chair, Evie gestured to Jane for her to take it, and luckily the small girl did after muttering an apology for being late. Scanning the rest of the restaurant she looked for an empty chair, finding one not too far away, however, when she made a move to go collect it she found herself unable to when someone grabbed hold of her waist. She let out a quiet squeal as her body was pulled down over the arm of a chair, but it quickly turned into an excited giggle when she found herself sitting sideways on Mal's lap, her legs draped over the chair's arm as strong arms snaked around her body.

            That move had been the one that seemed to set off an inability for them to keep their hands to themselves.

            “It seems this seat is already occupied,” Evie stated in a quiet voice as she brought her gaze to find sea-green, a smirk reshaping her lips when she found the timid glint shining in the girl's eyes.

            “Someone else might need that chair later, you never know,” Mal replied, the fingers of one hand dancing over a prominent hipbone underneath a dark-blue shirt.

            The touch was subtle enough that no one else would notice it, but noticeable enough for Evie to make her mind wander to less public-friendly places. _I need to calm down._ Once again, the first thing that popped into her mind was inappropriate, and she was beginning to wish her body would leave her alone for a night. Completely oblivious to the fact that none of their friends knew about their sudden shift in relationship, Evie tangled her fingers in purple hair and leaned down to connect their lips for the second time, finding the same overwhelming emotions that had consumed her earlier in the evening returning to settle into her again. _I could do this all day._

            Unfortunately, an obnoxious clapping followed by a cheer startled her, causing her to pull away from Mal so that she could turn a narrowed gaze on the source. _Why am I not surprised he would do such a thing?_

            “What?” Jay questioned, lifting his eyebrows and shrugging, the smirk playing on his lips irking Evie.

            “You're inappropriate,” Evie stated, shaking her head as she shifted in Mal's lap until she was facing the table.

            “And making out in the middle of a restaurant is appropriate?” Jay arched his eyebrow in amusement, crossing his arms over his chest.

            A laugh caught their attention, and they both turned to face Chad as he spoke. “You think that was inappropriate? You should have seen what happened in the dorm lobby earlier.”

            Jay's dark-brown eyes met Evie's red-brown again and she just _knew_ what he was about to ask.

            “In the dorm lobby?” Jay's smirk had never been more irksome. “Do we get details?”

            Carlos snorted and Jane's eyes widened, and Evie opened her mouth to make something up that would get Jay to never ask for details again until she felt Mal's face pressing into the back of her shoulder. _Awe, she's embarrassed._ Given that knowledge, she decided to say nothing, choosing to ignore the boy instead. Luckily, Lonnie seemed to understand what would happen if it was only silence that followed.

            “Hey, Mal, do you think you can help me with my hair?”

            The weight on her back was removed, only for the feeling of the girl's chin resting over her shoulder to replace it, and – unable to stop her smile from taking over – Evie slid her hand down until she could lace her fingers through Mal's. _This is how easy it should have always been_ , she thought, the way she had struggled to show her affection for the girl this morning still haunting her because she knew she had caused Mal far too much pain; though the haunting was distant now that she had seen just how much surety and joy she gave the girl.

            “You don't think I'm some sort of hair-stylist, do you?” Mal asked the girl, and Evie couldn't help but giggle due to the girl's breath tickling her neck.

            “Well, no...?” Lonnie trailed off, right eyebrow lifting. “I just figured you might be able to find a style that suited me better. You know, since your hair is amazing.”

            “Thank you,” Mal smiled softly, the delight in her voice lightly coated with a bashful layer. “I... I kind of use magic on it.”

            “Magic? I didn't know you...”

            “Well, yeah, Lonnie, her impeccable ability to reach black-out anger can't be her _only_ talent,” Jay chimed in with a brilliant smile gracing his features, his interruption meant to tease both Mal and Lonnie.

            Mal laughed awkwardly. “You saw that, then?”

            “Are you kidding?” Carlos chuckled, his hand hung over the side of his chair so that he could scratch Dude's head. “I think _everyone_ saw it.”

            Knowing something was wrong, Evie turned immediately to press her lips to Mal's temple, offering her comfort with the hope that it would keep the girl relaxed. She knew the topic wasn't the best for Mal considering she wasn't proud of the way she had acted at the game, but she also knew that – if given the chance to – the girl wouldn't change what she had done to Audrey; knowing both ultimately had her confused as to how the girl would react to the conversation continuing.

            “I'm not sorry,” Mal announced, her voice barely more than a whisper.

            “And there's no reason for you to be,” Jay shrugged as he crossed his arms again. “Though maybe we should all think twice about teasing Evie.”

            “I thought we were talking about Lonnie's hair,” Jane spoke up for the first time since she had sat down. “How did we get here?”

            Jay took a moment to think about it. “Don't know. Sorry, though.”

            “Oh, um... well, if you still want me to, then I'll help, but I'll have to use magic,” Mal offered awkwardly, her fingers manipulating Evie's softly.

            “Of course I still want you to help!” Lonnie exclaimed excitedly, reaching up to touch her hair. “I'm not afraid of magic, and I trust you.”

            At that, Mal relaxed against her, her fingers stilling their nervous movement as a small breath escaped her lips. Knowing all of her friends truthfully enjoyed Mal's company and witnessing the girl finding comfort in their words placed a smile on Evie's face that she knew would never truly find its end. _How_ did _we end up here, huh?_ She wondered, remembering how defensive and blunt Mal had been in the beginning towards all of them, and the way Jay had been cautious of her intentions, attempting to keep her away from the girl. It was a mystery to her if she were being honest, but one she didn't feel the need to solve because she loved the results, and she wouldn't swap a single piece of their messy puzzle out for a cleaner cut one.

 

**_(Mal)_ **

A sense of familiarity welcomed Mal as soon as Evie asked if they could slip away from the group, but she didn't even consider stopping the girl when she laced their fingers together and tugged her away, the smirk gracing the blue-haired princess' features somehow managing to make her both excited and nervous. After dinner the group had decided to head to the tourney field and play a small match against each other; Mal, Carlos, and Lonnie versus Evie, Jay, and Chad, with Jane on the gun. It had been difficult and highly amusing, especially since Evie seemed to be terrified of the ball most of the time and Jane's aim was horrendous. However, despite the fact that everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, Evie had still taken the first chance handed to her to pull Mal to the side and talk her into leaving – though it hadn't been difficult for Evie to convince her.

            It was getting late, but Mal still didn't hesitate as she followed behind Evie, their fingers linked as the taller girl led her across grass and pavement with ease due to the lack of people wandering around at this time. She wondered what the others were doing now that they had lost two players, but the second Evie threw a glance over her shoulder the radiant smile she saw took refuge in her mind, blocking out everything that wasn't the breathtaking girl in front of her.

            “Where are you taking me, E?” Mal asked, though she honestly didn't care much; she would follow Evie anywhere.

            “You ask so many questions,” Evie giggled, the sound entrancing.

            “Well, maybe if we hadn't been attacked the last time you wanted to take me somewhere I wouldn't be so cautious,” Mal replied, more of a statement than an accusatory claim. She trusted Evie, she just didn't trust the cover of night.

            “You worry too much.”

            “That's it?” Mal questioned jokingly, recognizing the dorm building despite being on a side she had never been on. “You're not going to say anything else to reassure me?”

            Evie suddenly turned around, and before Mal knew what was happening the girl had taken her other hand and backed her against the side of the building. The mischievous smirk had returned, and so had the excitement and the nerves, leaving Mal desperate to know what happened next as Evie pressed their bodies together, pinning her against the building.

            “If you stopped focusing on asking questions, I think you would notice that we're at the dorms,” Evie whispered, her voice deeper than Mal was used to. “But you're just a curious girl, aren't you?”

            Mal tried not to, she _really_ tried to keep the next words that came out of her mouth from being a question; but it didn't work. “Was that our destination, though?”

            “Actually, it was,” Evie answered, lips curving into a smile. “Is it so difficult to believe that I just wanted to cuddle with you instead of playing a game I'm terrible at? Or did you think I was going to murder you?”

            “The second one, definitely,” Mal breathed out, the girl's deep husk releasing a feeling that settled in every inch of her body; and she really didn't know what to do.

            Though she was well aware that Evie would never murder her, she couldn't help but think there was something else on her mind other than what she had stated she wanted. It was something in those red-brown eyes, something in the smooth honey of her voice, and it was everything about the way she pressed their bodies firmly together and the way she slid her hands over her ribcage.

            “You really only wanted to cuddle?” Mal questioned, voice seeming to weaken as Evie's grew more mesmerizing.

            “Mmhm,” was Evie's only response as she leaned down to nuzzle Mal's jawbone.

            _Oh, for the love of..._ she couldn't even finish that thought. “I don't believe you.”

            “And why is that?” Evie asked quietly, molding her inviting lips into an attractive pout.

            Mal's breath hitched when lips brushed teasingly over the skin of her neck, and for a moment she didn't think she would make it out of this encounter alive. _Yeah,_ she forced herself to exhale; _she definitely wants something else._

            “It's just a feeling I have,” Mal whispered with a small crack in her voice. _What is this girl doing to me?_ She didn't know, but she didn't dislike it.

            “It's just a feeling, huh?” Evie smirked, sliding back up until their foreheads and noses were pressed together. “And may I ask exactly _what_ that feeling is saying to you?”

            “It's... it's um...” Mal stuttered, flicking her tongue from her mouth to lick her lips, the skin suddenly feeling chapped. “There's... something else on your mind.”

            “Mm,” Evie hummed.

            If Mal had thought she was going to have a heart attack earlier, she was sure of it when hands gripped her waist and tugged her hips forward suddenly, the feeling of Evie's body molding to hers reaching places in her own body that had never been ignited before. Unable to handle the seductive husk of her girlfriend's voice, Mal brought her hands up to grip Evie's neck and used the hold to pull the girl down until their lips were a mess of heated desire. Evie hummed into the kiss, lips curving into a small smile as she reached around to slide her fingers underneath the back of Mal's belt for the second time that day. _She seems to enjoy doing that._ Mal didn't mind, though, in fact, she could barely focus on anything other than the feeling of the girl's lips, and when she felt teeth close around her bottom lip she felt her knees weaken as a light groan pushed its way out of her body.

            “Is this okay?” Evie husked against her lips, fingers tugging on the smaller girl's belt.

            Swallowing the thick lump that had formed in her throat, Mal nodded, groaning again when Evie immediately pushed forward to close her teeth around her plump lip another time. “Fuck.”

            Giggling, Evie fused their parted lips together again.

            All she wanted was for the princess to be as close as possible, so she slid her arms around the girl's neck and pulled until their chests met, their height difference making it a bit awkward, though neither of them really cared. She wanted things she had never wanted before; she wanted Evie's hands caressing the areas of her body she had never allowed others to even look at, she wanted those heavenly lips pressing into every inch of her skin, she wanted to do anything and everything that flashed through her mind in that moment. She just didn't know how to even begin, or how to express her cravings.

            “I... Evie, we should...” she was breathless, lost for words.

            “Go inside?” Evie finished for her in the form of a question, red-brown eyes sparkling with a look Mal had never witnessed before; she enjoyed it.

            And she definitely enjoyed the way fingertips danced over the skin just above the waistband of her jeans. _She's daring,_ Mal's breath was stolen from her lungs when the fingertips rounded to her front; _what does she want?_ Part of her felt as though she knew the meaning behind every look, every touch, every kiss, but her inexperience in life still managed to keep her from knowing exactly what was going to happen when they made it back to their shared room. She wasn't scared, though, not even in the slightest, and so she aimed to show that by pulling the princess into another kiss, one full of affection and passion instead of lust and desire.

            “Well, well, well, this was certainly something I did not expect.”

            Recognition hit her immediately and had her startling away from her girlfriend, her eyes widening as her chest constricted in panic due to the unexpected interruption. _I didn't think he would come himself._ No, she never would have guessed it.

            “You actually _believe_ the trick of love,” Head continued, his pace slow as he approached them, hands behind his back as if this was a casual meeting. “I thought I taught you better than that, Mal.”

            Mal hissed, stepping away from the wall and wrapping her arm around Evie to push the girl behind her. “It would make sense, considering you never taught me anything of worth.”

            Evie seemed to know to stay silent, but she slid her hand down Mal's arm until their fingers could lock together tightly; whether it was a warning for Mal to not push things, or a comforting touch, she didn't know. She pressed the girl further behind her, not willing to let her get hurt. However, her focus wasn't divided enough for everything occurring in that moment, and when she caught the movement in her peripheral vision it was too late for her to stop the blow from connecting with its destination.

            It was too late for her to keep herself from losing feeling of Evie as every light around her flickered into forced darkness.


	41. Chapter 41

**_(Mal)_ **

At first, when consciousness started tugging on her mind, Mal believed herself trapped in another nightmare of reliving her past, but the reality of every stimuli her mind picked up pressed into her before she could even open her eyes. _This isn't a dream. This is real._ The throb in her brow, the pain encasing her wrists and ankles, the sizzling of her skin, the metal draining her strength; it was all real. When a sob broke through her battered senses her head immediately snapped upright as she pried her eyes open, a low growl escaping her lips as her vision cleared enough for her to recognize the figure in front of her.

            “Let her go!” Mal ordered, her voice sounding weak due to the lack of magic coursing through her veins.

            “I knew that would be the first thing you said.”

            Head stepped into her view, but she couldn't remove her gaze from the girl tied to the chair in front of her, appearance screaming that she hadn't been restrained easily. _That's my girl._ She only wished the same could be said for her.

            “Love makes people so predictable,” Head continued, stepping directly into Mal's eyesight and blocking Evie from her view. “Your girlfriend's quite the fighter, and she caused quite a struggle when we brought her in, but I'll tell you what,” his lips curved in a gruesome, ghastly smile. “I'll let her go _if_ we get the necklace and _you_.”

            “You're not getting _anything_ you want,” Evie spoke from behind him, catching everyone's attention with her venomous voice.

            The agents lining the walls glanced at each other in confusion and surprise before looking to Head for instructions. _Clearly, they didn't think she'd be this difficult._ Mal couldn't help but laugh internally; _then again,_ I _had no idea she'd be as difficult as she is._ Though difficult wasn't the word she would use to describe the beautiful girl, not entirely. Evie was insistent, she was astoundingly intelligent, she was stubborn, and she was _definitely_ a fighter, but she wasn't difficult as long as you knew how to handle her.

            Seemingly assuming that he'd get a different answer from Mal, Head ignored Evie completely and kept his attention focused on her. “Well? What will it be, Mal?”

            It sickened her that Head thought he could get everything he wanted with such ease, and it amused her that he thought she believed him. Letting out a dry laugh, Mal lifted her head to meet Head's twisted gaze, her emotions burning brightly in her eyes.

            “Go fuck yourself.”

            An angry hiss released itself from Head's throat as he surged forward, his fingers closing around Mal's throat as he invaded her personal space. “How _dare_ you speak that way to me! Do you have no respect for the man who raised you?”

            Mal didn't flinch even in the slightest. “I raised myself.”

            Head laughed cruelly, shoving Mal's head backward as he stood back up, beginning to pace back-and-forth. She watched him until the pulse of fury in his eyes shifted into the presence of an idea, and he only laughed again as he turned to face her.

            “How about this, I'll make you a deal,” Head began, moving to circle around Mal. “You beat me in a fight, and I'll let you _both_ go.”

            Eyes narrowed, Mal studied the look twisting his features, debating whether he was lying or not. She knew he was, and she screamed at herself to not take the deal, but a voice in the back of her head told her that they might have a chance of escaping if she could take Head down. However, she didn't get the chance to give an answer before Head knelt down in front of her to unlock the iron chains from around her ankles. _Wrong move._ As soon as her legs were liberated she didn't waste a second to grab hold of the opportunity. Shooting her legs forward, she closed her ankles around Head's neck and tightened until he was trapped, using the strength still inside her body to turn him around until she could press her boot into his throat and limit his air supply.

            “Still want to fight me?” She hissed, increasing the pressure on his neck until he was gasping for air his lungs couldn't find.

            This victory was short-lived, however, because four agents came forward and easily freed their master, and before she could strike again something was circling her neck from behind and causing her to scream out in agony. _Iron._ The makeshift collar clicked into place, and with her hands still bound she couldn't search for a way to remove it. She heard Evie screaming, her voice clouded by the tears that had formed with the cry that had escaped Mal's body.

            The iron braces were removed from her wrists and she was forced to her feet, only to collapse to her knees due to the searing pain exploding through her entire body. Immediately, she reached up to the collar and closed her fingers around it, ignoring the way her fingers burned as she attempted to pry the item off with broken hope. Finally, she gave in and her hands fell back to her sides. _Fight it, Mal. Fight it._ Inhaling deeply, she pressed one foot into the ground and forced herself to stand through the pain; _I can do this. For Evie, I will do this._ Her fingers closed into a fist as she brought her gaze to lock on Head, her eyes blazing with unwavering hatred and determination.

            “Please, Mal,” Evie pleaded with a broken voice. “Please, don't do this.”

            “It doesn't seem like I have a choice,” Mal replied quietly, never looking away from the man in front of her.

            “You always have a choice,” Evie whispered, but Head was already taking the first swing.

            And Mal was already dodging his fist and throwing her shoulder into the area just beneath his ribs, the force behind her own blow buckling her knees and giving Head the chance to push her away. She stumbled, her legs unsteady under her. _Not weak, but a fighter. Not useless, but talented. Not hopeless, but recovering. Not forgotten, but rescued. Not unloved, but wanted,_ she found red-brown eyes; _not unloved, but a lover._

            She made the next move, making it seem as though she were aiming for his head, but throwing her foot into his knee at the last second. The sickening crunch that sounded through the room seemed to echo, and as soon as Head cried out in pain and reached for his shattered knee she lunged again. However, he had the advantage and wasn't afraid to use it; she had known that all along, but it still took her by surprise when he threw his palm into the collar encasing her neck. All he had to do was close his fingers around the object and press the metal further into her skin, and that's exactly what he did. For the second time, a cry of agony found its way from her body, the metal searing her neck feeling as though it was tearing through her entire body and severing every connection she had ever had to her magic.

            Her knees met the ground in a painful collision, every ounce of strength she'd had left in her body having been drained by the iron collar, leaving her with no way to protect herself when an iron knife glinted in Head's hand.

 

**_(Evie)_ **

As soon as the first move had been made, Evie had begun struggling even harder against her binds in attempt to escape, but the rope wouldn't ease even the slightest. Panicking, Evie brought her gaze back to the fight when she heard a bone snap clean in half, her heart stopping its beat until she saw that it hadn't belonged to Mal, however, the second her heart continued she found it leaping into her throat as she watched her girlfriend collapse to the ground in agony. The scream that echoed around the room had Evie's throat and chest constricting tightly, but it sent her into an iced over rage that seemed to have all the answers.

            She knew what to do.

            Twisting her hands, she gripped the rope and sliced through it with ease, the magic she had summoned pulsing with life through her veins as she stood and ripped the necklace from her body. Her magic sparked around her as well as inside, and by the time she had the crowned heart dangling in front of her, the necklace and her hand were both surrounded entirely by electrical bolts.

            “Don't touch her!” Evie shouted, thankful that her voice was now perfectly stable.

            The knife paused in the air, and the cruel man turned to look at her, letting go of Mal the second his gaze reached the necklace. She could see the surprise etched into his features, the surprise etched into all of their faces as they studied the bright-blue electricity dancing around her hand; none of them had known she possessed her own magic.

            “I can see there's something you left out, Mal,” the man spoke delicately, holding up his hands and letting the knife drop to the floor.

            Mal laughed lightly, her voice weak. “I didn't leave out anything.”

            “Make one more move and I swear you'll wish you were never born,” Evie warned, rage boiling her blood and threatening to blind her completely. She wanted this man dead, and she couldn't shake the feeling that it was the worst outcome she could possibly want. “Get away from her.”

            Making a show of surrendering, he took a few steps away from Mal. “Let's not be irrational here.”

            “Bit too late for that,” Evie scoffed, the power building inside of her steadily and bringing a panic with it; the amount of power she possessed was beginning to scare her.

            _Mal was right._ Mal always seemed to be right; about her, about her power, about sneaking away. She made a note to trust the girl's instincts more often when they got out of here. _When,_ she emphasized; _we_ will _get out of here. I won't let you die for me, Mal._

            Glancing briefly toward Mal to make sure she was alright, Evie made a move closer to the girl, however, three steps into her journey the man lunged suddenly at her, his intentions clear. With a loud cry, Evie let her power take over as she reeled her arm back, letting her family heirloom find its way to the ground harshly. It shattered, her power bursting from the small object and lighting the entire room as it surged outward in a terrifying force, throwing everyone into the walls; everyone except for her.

            Her power seemed to lessen when it collided with Mal, however, only knocking her from her knees and throwing her onto her back. Despite the different effect the blast had on the girl, Evie still rushed over to her in panic, dropping to her knees and pressing her hands into the ground on either side of her.

            “Mal?” Evie whispered brokenly, the fact that the girl wasn't moving not slipping her notice. “Mal, please answer me.”

            Eyelids flickered, and sea-green appeared slowly. Mal looked around the room briefly before bringing her gaze to Evie's face. “Shit,” she breathed out, the crack to her voice showing she was still in pain. “You _are_ powerful.”

            A sob of relief escaped Evie's lips, and she quickly pulled Mal into her arms, holding the girl tightly against her body in fear of what would happen if she ever let go. Fingers weakly closed around the sleeve of her shirt, and she only found more tears falling from her eyes due to the light touch, the knowledge that the girl had gone through so much pain in her life squeezing her heart until it burst into several pieces.

            “Did the iron keep me from hurting you?” Evie questioned, unable to accept the idea that she could have killed Mal along with the others.

            Mal shook her head. “No. Iron only hurts fairies.”

            “Then...”

            “Your magic must have known to protect me,” Mal answered before she could even ask the second question, a small smile curving her lips. “Or you subconsciously threw a barrier over me. Either one is possible.”

            “I could...” Evie's voice broke, and she had to close her eyes in order to calm her breathing. “I could have killed you, too.”

            “You still could,” Mal pointed out, not helping even in the slightest. “But you didn't, and you won't. _That's_ what matters, E.”

            Overwhelmed by everything, Evie pressed her forehead against Mal's, inhaling deeply and allowing the feeling and scent of the girl to spread relaxation through her. However, when laughter suddenly filled the room and startled her, she pulled away quickly, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

            “What could possibly be funny about _any_ of this?”

            “Think about it, Evie,” Mal struggled to control her laughing enough to answer. “All of this started because of the necklace, and now it's broken.”

            “I fail to see how that's funny, Mal,” Evie was baffled, unsure whether she wanted to hit, or kiss, her.

            But Mal didn't seem to want to give an explanation, instead moving onto something else. “If I had known you could take out Head this easily, I would have gotten captured sooner.”

            Completely oblivious as to how the girl could be laughing in a moment like this one, Evie pushed her back onto the floor, smacking her arm, which only seemed to encourage more laughter from her. _Well,_ Evie sighed, a frown etched into her features; _everyone copes differently._ Her laughter fading with each passing second, Mal stared up at her, and Evie couldn't see passed the love and amazement brightening sea-green eyes. Lips curving into an adoring smile, Evie reached down to grab hold of the collar of Mal's leather jacket and pulled the girl up as she leaned down, connecting their lips.

            “What am I going to do with you, huh?” Evie mumbled against Mal's lips, bumping her nose against the girl's affectionately.

            “Keep me?” Mal suggested, one eyebrow lifting in amused curiosity.

            Evie laughed lightly. “Sounds like a plan.”

            Leaning back in, Evie kissed the girl like her life would end any moment, her lips working flawlessly with Mal's as the smaller girl settled her body back onto the ground. Evie shifted so her upper-body hovered over Mal's, her forearms resting on either side of the girl's body as she pushed her lips harder against plump lips, taking control of the kiss. A hand came up to brush over her stomach just before Mal pulled away.

            Clearing her throat, Mal glanced around the room. “I don't really think this is the time.”

            Evie lifted her gaze to find the immobile bodies scattered haphazardly by the walls, understanding what the girl meant; however, that didn't mean her entertainment had come to an end. Letting one corner of her mouth curve into a mischievous smirk, she brought her gaze back to meet sea-green before leaning down until her lips ghosted over Mal's.

            Well aware that the girl was holding her breath, Evie husked: “Don't think this gets you out of anything.”

            When she backed away from Mal she noted the widened eyes and the presence of desperate curiosity swirling around sea-green irises, and she couldn't help but laugh with relief again due to how incredibly fortunate they both were.


	42. Chapter 42

**_(Mal)_ **

Bracing her hands beside her, Mal attempted to lift herself into a sitting position, but with every inch she rose her arms shook uncontrollably, unsteady under her weight, until she gave in and let her body find the ground again. She was weak, and her strength only left her more and more as each second passed, wiping the amusement of the situation from her body. She knew exactly what was causing it, but couldn't do anything about it; she had never been this powerless before. Her vision began moving as she slid her fingers to the metal closed around her neck, no doubt in her mind that the skin obscured underneath was completely raw as if it had been scraped off.

            Delicate fingers wrapped around her wrist, pulling her hand away from the iron collar shredding her skin, and she looked up to find worry glazing over red-brown eyes. _Of course,_ an idea slowly made its appearance, and she closed her fingers around Evie's; _there's nothing_ I _can do about it. But maybe... maybe Evie can do something._ Iron only siphoned from fairies, not human sorceresses.

            “Evie... can you...?” She gestured weakly at the collar, her hand falling into the girl's lap shortly afterwards. “Please...”

            Evie nodded, eyes watering as she lifted her hands to hover over the metal. Hesitating, Evie looked at Mal for reassurance, both of them knowing that she would have to hurt her in order to ease her suffering. Mal nodded, and Evie released a breath. Closing her eyes, Mal prepared herself for the increased bite of the metal, gritting her teeth when she felt slender fingers pull the collar until they could slip underneath to create a relentless grip. The metal dug further into the back of her neck, and she did her best to keep any sound of agony from breaking through her, but it only took half of a second for the pain to overwhelm her. Her fingers dug into the girl's thigh and her eyes squeezed shut as the sound found its way out of her body, the sizzling of her skin sickeningly familiar.

            However, the burning ended as quickly as it had begun, and she soon found herself wrapped tightly in slim arms as the pain living in her neck slowly dissipated, the sound of metal connecting with a concrete ground relieving her. A tingling sensation sank down into her skin, creeping its way into her body and spreading until it could settle into every inch, every crevice. _I bet she doesn't even know she's doing it,_ Mal thought, reaching up to rest her hand against the girl's arm as her strength returned to her.

            There was one thing that astounded her beyond belief. Despite having always known that Evie had the potential to become the most powerful sorceress to ever live, she couldn't seem to wrap her mind around the idea that nothing weakened the girl, that no spell could drain her. Mal had lived her entire life fearing finding the edge to her powers, afraid of killing herself by draining her magic, yet that constant threat that haunted her every step didn't loom over Evie even the smallest bit. And it was because it wasn't about potential or controlling her powers, it wasn't about managing her supply or knowledge, not for Evie, not when what the girl possessed wasn't a talent earned; it was a gift. There was no potential of becoming the most powerful sorceress because she always had been, even when she hadn't known about her magic. _Looks like she never needed the protection after all._ Evie could have survived without Mal's aid, and everything probably would have turned out easier for the girl.

            “Promise me something, Evie,” Mal spoke, her voice quiet but steady.

            She reached up to caress a tan cheek, encouraging the girl to look at her.

            “If you ask me to leave you, I will hurt you,” Evie replied as an acknowledgment that she had heard her words, fingers tightening around the back of a leather jacket. “It won't be a joke anymore, I _will_ murder you.”

            A laugh escaped Mal's throat. “I wouldn't dream of telling you to leave me.”

            “Good,” Evie's lips curved into a small smile, her gaze flickering to Mal's lips briefly. “Then what do I need to promise?”

            “Promise me that you won't ever depend on my help,” Mal continued, dropping her hand down to play with the buttons on the girl's shirt. “Promise that, from now on, you'll believe in yourself and your powers, because you don't need anyone teaching you how to use your powers. You don't need anyone protecting you.” Sea-green eyes flickered to stare into the depths of the curiosity in red-brown. “You can do anything, _anything._ And you shouldn't need me to show you that.”

            “I don't und...”

            Mal shook her head, dragging her finger over the girl's bottom lip. “You're amazing, you know that, right?”

            “I promise to not underestimate myself, but that doesn't change the fact that I will _always_ need you, Mal,” Evie whispered, reaching up to grab her hand and lace their fingers together, bringing them to rest on Mal's chest. “We're a package deal, you and I.”

            _That we are,_ Mal thought, recalling how – recently – they always seemed to get into trouble together. The idea of being tied to Evie by the universe wasn't a terrible one, not through Mal's perspective, and she found the corners of her lips curving until a full-blown smile was taking over. Getting lost in uniquely colored eyes, she squeezed Evie's hand.

            “Then let's go cause mischief together.”

            A mesmerizing smile appeared to grace Evie's features. “We should probably stay away from mischief for a while, don't you think?”

            “Maybe you're right,” Mal shrugged, allowing her gaze to scan over the rest of the room, over the bodies. “Maybe we should lay low for a bit.”

            “Maybe we should find a way out of here,” Evie suggested with a light laugh, reaching up to push a loose strand of hair from Mal's face. “I really don't understand how you can make jokes after everything.”

            “It's a talent.”

            “It's annoying.”

            Shaking her head in amusement, Mal pushed off Evie and got to her feet, watching as the girl followed her actions until they were standing with only a few inches between them, their gazes locked.

            Evie's gaze flickered over the room. “There's a door over there. It's a start.”

            “Who needs doors?” Mal questioned with raised eyebrows and a smirk. Holding out her hands, Mal waited for Evie to take them, watching the slight hesitation in her movements due to the confusion tangling around her. “Trust me.”

            After that, Evie didn't hesitate to slip her hands into Mal's, squeezing them reassuringly. “I do.”

            With a small smile gracing her features – and knowing it would weaken her again due to the lack of magic coursing through her veins – Mal closed her eyes and inhaled heavily, picturing Auradon's excessive beauty in her mind and reaching out toward its presence when it appeared. She had promised herself the last time she had traveled this way that it would be the last, however, she was well aware that it was the quickest way to get them back to Auradon safely, so she pushed passed her dislike for it and finished the spell. Her grasp of the world disappeared as soon as everything blurred around her, but she kept her grip on Evie's hands tight, refusing to let go of the girl until they had both made it to their destination. After a minute of the world twisting and spinning nauseatingly, she felt a softer surface beneath her feet seconds before everything returned to normal.

            Immediately, Mal's legs buckled underneath her and she stumbled, the only thing keeping her from hitting the ground the same way she had the last time being the body she crashed into and the arms snaking around her to keep her upright. _First time traveling this way and she's already better at it,_ Mal laughed lightly, regaining her balance and finding her way back to her feet.

            “You are a wonder to this world,” Mal breathed out, the nausea dissipating slowly.

            “Why?” Evie questioned, clearly baffled by her announcement.

            “Because...” Mal trailed off, taking a moment to return her breathing to normal. “That should have been terrible. You should be throwing up.”

            “I'm sorry?” Evie raised the last word in a question, her eyebrows lifting in curiosity as she studied Mal intently. “Are you okay?”

            “I'm fine. Just give me a moment,” Mal muttered, keeping hold of Evie's shoulder as she turned to take in their surroundings. “Looks like we're near the dorms.”

            “Looks like it's early morning,” Evie stated as she scanned the skies. “How long were we gone?”

            Mal shrugged. “Hopefully not long enough for people to be worried.”

            “I think that's highly unlikely.”

            Turning to look at the girl she noticed her pointing in front of them, and she shifted her gaze to find several people watching them with widened eyes. Usually, Mal would argue that they were shocked because of their sudden appearance, however, the look in their eyes screamed worry and relief, not the surprise and confusion that would result from witnessing an apparition. _Well,_ Mal thought with a sigh; _so much for that hope._ It was only a matter of time before they were being relentlessly questioned, and so she slid her hand into Evie's and began the journey to the dorm building.

            “Let's try to get as much rest as we can before the interrogations begin,” Mal whispered in Evie's ear, the way the girl giggled not slipping her notice. Her eyebrow quirked. “Something funny, Princess?”

            Evie shook her head. “No.”

            “I don't think I'll ever understand you,” Mal sighed, maneuvering their joined hands until her arm was draped around Evie's shoulders, their fingers still locked.

            “Good,” Evie replied, leaning over to nuzzle the area of her cheek where her dimple rested. “It's better that way.”

            As they made their way to the dorm building, everyone watched them closely, whether they were judging them for how close they were or wondering if they were alright didn't matter; their gazes still disturbed Mal. _Can't anyone leave us alone? Even for just a day._ That almost seemed too good to be true, but she would wait for that day eagerly. The dorm lobby wasn't any better, in fact it was almost worse, everyone staring at them in surprise and stepping out of their way as they headed for the stairs.

            A smirk playing on her lips, Mal leaned over to whisper in Evie's ear again. “See, I told you you're a princess. Everyone's making room for you.”

            An elbow met her ribcage and she grunted with the force, but laughed when she saw the girl roll her eyes. Ignoring everyone around them, Mal gazed at Evie, studying every feature as they made their way up the stairs, however, when she failed to look away Evie slipped from their current embrace and grabbed hold of both her hands, pulling her up the stairs more quickly. The beautiful princess was a perfect distraction from letting the staring get under her skin, and so she let the girl do whatever she wanted in that moment, not caring even in the slightest when the door to their room was opened and she was shoved through.

            “Oh, I'm sorry, am I not fast enough for you?”

            “Shut up,” Evie breathed out as she slid her hands over Mal's cheeks.

            Her laugh was silenced by Evie's lips demanding her attention, and she easily allowed herself to melt into the girl, bringing her arms to circle Evie's waist until her hands could rest on her lower-back. She recalled how she had called the princess insistent when she had been described as difficult, and she found herself wondering if they were one and the same. _Well, she's definitely insistent._

            Mal couldn't help but wonder what her life would be like right now if she hadn't been assigned this mission, and her chest constricted at the thought of never getting to know Evie. She didn't know where she would be in life if she hadn't been sent to Auradon, didn't know if she would have stayed with the agency and continued praying she would get a mission, or if she would have broken out and lived the rest of her life alone on the streets, but she knew it was a life she was grateful she didn't have to live anymore.

            And having to deal with Evie's insistence for the rest of her life was the best life Mal could possibly think of.

            “Why is it that, whenever we're alone, you _always_ attack me?” Mal questioned with honest curiosity, tilting her head back when Evie trailed her lips down her jawbone.

            “Because we're _always_ interrupted,” Evie answered, closing her teeth around the skin stretched over a strong jawbone before bringing her gaze to meet Mal's, their foreheads pressed together. “And I'm not giving up until we get to finish what was started.”

            With that answer, Evie flattened her hands against Mal's ribs and pushed into her until she was forced to move backward, something coming to press into the middle of her back to stop her, allowing the taller girl to press their bodies together. Glancing subtly over her shoulder, Mal recognized the bedpost of Evie's bed.

            One corner of Mal's lips curved into a smirk as she brought her gaze back to Evie's. “You're feisty.”

            “Are you complaining?” Evie questioned, not denying the statement.

            Mal opened her mouth to answer, but found herself unable to when Evie reached down to the hem of her shirt and pulled the dark-blue material over her head. Sea-green eyes dropped to admire the skin recently bared as the clothing item fell to the ground at their feet, the flawless tan skin making Mal wish she could see more. She was brought back to reality when she was pulled from the bedpost, and she managed to regain control of herself when she felt her leather jacket being pushed from her shoulders. _No,_ she released the breath she had been holding; _I am definitely_ not _complaining._

            “Are you trying to kill me?” The words slipped passed Mal's lips before she even knew she was thinking them, and her cheeks heated in embarrassment.

            “You say the weirdest things,” Evie whispered as she pressed their bodies back together and leaned their foreheads together.

            “Well... I...” but Mal couldn't finish anything she wanted to say because Evie's hands were sliding under her shirt and finding their way to her ribcage.

            However, the hands disappeared from underneath her shirt almost immediately, and before Mal could ask if she had done something wrong fingertips were ghosting over the area of her neck that had been marred by the iron collar. She figured her first instinct would be to pull away, but that didn't cross her mind at all, and she instead reached up to close her own fingers around Evie's wrist delicately.

            "I should have stopped him from hurting you," Evie's voice was barely audible, and Mal found her eyebrows knitting in confusion by the next words that came from her lips. "It didn't scar."

            Reaching up, Mal slid her own fingers over the skin only to find it completely smooth. _How can that be?_ However, as soon as she allowed her gaze to meet Evie's again, she almost felt stupid for having not thought of the possibility.

            "You healed me," she announced, deciding to explain further when Evie's eyes flickered with surprise and confusion. "After you removed the collar you hugged me and your magic healed me. It seems you're always healing me, and I can never thank you enough."

            Despite this reveal, Evie still looked as though she were filled with regret. "I still should have stopped him."

            “It's not your fault, E,” Mal reassured softly, sliding her hand down the girl's arm until her fingers grazed her chest where the necklace had rested every day until now. “I could have gone through with the mission if I wanted to avoid upsetting him.”

            “Why didn't you?” Evie questioned, red-brown eyes showing how serious she was being. “Why did you give up everything you knew for me?”

            Mal took a deep breath, keeping her gaze locked with Evie's as she caressed the girl's collarbone. “Because everything I knew was wrong. I wasn't really living, I was only surviving. With you, it's different,” she slid her hand up so she could grip Evie's neck. “It's probably the most storybook thing in the world, but it's the truth. I fell in love with you, Evie, and I learned that we always have a choice in the way our lives turn out. Two people I truly admire told me that.”

            She could recall both moments with perfect clarity, and it wasn't only because they were both recent events. Carlos had been right that everyone got to choose their own direction no matter who their parents were, and Evie had been right that there was always a choice even in the moments where all hope seemed to be lost. Those were both lessons Mal would cherish for the rest of her life, lessons that she would keep in mind whenever she was faced with a difficult obstacle in her future; and they both made her feel as though she could make it through anything.

            “I love you, too,” Evie whispered, her lips curving into a radiant smile.

            The fingers that had been caressing her throat slid until they were tangled in purple hair, and a smile formed on Mal's lips as she pushed forward to claim Evie's lips with her own another time. Her hands flattened against Evie's collarbone, hesitant to lower any further but desperate to. A familiar tugging on the back of her belt alerted the rest of her senses, and she slid her hands up to grip the nape of the girl's neck as she slipped from the bedpost so that she fell onto the bed, bringing Evie down with her. However, just as a groan vibrated through her throat due to the tongue prodding at her lips, the sound of the door bursting open startled both of them, causing them to pull apart.

            “Of course,” Evie huffed in annoyance.

            Mal's widened eyes shot toward the door to find Jay and Carlos, the tan boy with a knowing smirk spreading across his face while the younger boy began shifting awkwardly. With a sigh, Evie lifted herself off Mal and sat on the edge of the bed while the smaller girl quickly got to her feet, her cheeks tinted the deepest shade of red they had ever been. The smirk playing on Jay's lips didn't help, and thankfully, it faded quickly.

            “Where the hell have you two been?” Jay questioned angrily, eyebrows furrowing to darken his eyes. “We were searching for you all night!”

            It was obvious that Jay was furious and Carlos was simply worried about them – well, until he had seen them perfectly fine – and Mal searched her brain for something to say. Looking to her left, sea-green met red-brown, a silent conversation occurring between them with just a single look. Finally, Mal brought her gaze from Evie and toward the boys again.

            And she simply shrugged. “It's a long story.”


End file.
